| Treasure By Ladybug |
| Chapter 6 Frank Dunlap stormed into his office in a rage. It was after hours and no one was about to hear the office door slam into the wall or to hear Frank’s loud curses as he walked over to his private phone and picked up the extension. After he punched in the memorized phone number, it began to ring. “Yeah,” answered a familiar voice. “I want a tail on Gabrielle Krinard!” he growled menacingly. “Okay,” the voice answered, unaffected by the harsh tone. “I also want a thorough check on Tanner Graves and I want it done yesterday!” “Right away. Is there a problem?” “Maybe. I want that check on Graves by tomorrow afternoon.” “I’ll get right on it.” Frank hung the phone up and leaned back in office chair. He was still angry, but back in control. He let his thoughts return to earlier at Gabrielle’s apartment. It had been insanely easy to convince the apartment manager to let him in. He had told the idiot that he was Gabrielle’s uncle and had slipped him a hundred dollar bill. Seeing Gabrielle again excited him. He had wanted her when she was younger and he found he still wanted her now that she was all grown up. He felt the tightening in his groin and he smiled, remembering the curves of her body and her full breasts. Frank didn’t know where Tanner Graves fit into all of this, but he would not allow Graves to interfere. He would have Gabrielle Krinard and he would have her soon! Picking up the private line again, he punched in another familiar number. It rang once. “Hello?” A sleepy feminine voice answered. “I’m coming over, be naked.” He hung up the phone and stood. He couldn’t have Gabrielle yet, but he could relieve his passions in other ways until then. He was feeling violent and knew that he was in for a night of hard, rough sex. He rubbed his hand firmly against his crotch, feeling the hard thickness of his erection through the polyester material of his pants. A shudder of delicious anticipation rippled through him. “Oh yes, Gabrielle, you will enjoy what I have planned for you,” he whispered with a wicked smile and left his office. Tanner woke with a start. The early morning sun brightened the unfamiliar room and it took him a moment to register where he was. Gabrielle. The name floated through his mind along with the night they had just spent making love. She had been a tiger in bed, Tanner thought with a smile. If he’d known, he might not have fought against the idea for so long. Glancing over at the digital clock next to the bed, he saw it was 6:30 a.m., then frowned when he realized she was not in bed with him. He had a morning erection he wished to put to some good use. He snorted as he pushed himself up out of bed. “Jesus, Tanner! First you make a big stink how nothing could ever happen between you two and now that you’ve given in, you’re acting like a fucking 16-year-old who can’t keep his dick in his pants!” He picked up his pants and slipped them on without fastening them. It was just too painful at the moment to even try. After using the restroom, he left the bedroom in search of his elusive little sex kitten. He found her in the kitchen making breakfast, wearing only his tee shirt. Tanner felt his mouth go dry and he tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. His eyes were fastened to her long legs as they disappeared underneath the shirt, and he felt himself harden even more. He must have groaned or something, because Gabby turned around and smiled at him. “Good morning! Breakfast is almost ready, are you hungry?” Her eyes drank in the sight of him. She admired the muscled plains of his bare chest and his flat stomach. He hadn’t bothered to fasten his pants and she could see the bulge of his erection trying to escape its confinement. “Oh my,” she whispered softly as Tanner came towards her. She saw the hungry look in his eyes and knew that it wasn’t for food. Too late she realized she was trapped as he cornered her, his large body crowding against hers. Tanner hoped that she hadn’t put on panties, but quickly realized she had when his hands slid up underneath the shirt. Oh well, minor inconvenience, he thought as he hooked his fingers in the waistband and stripped them down. His mouth came down on hers in a passionate kiss as he lifted her up, letting the panties drop to the floor. He was finding that he was hopelessly lost where Gabrielle was concerned. Now that he had tasted her, now that he knew what it was like to be buried in her tight sheath, he could not get enough of her or her body. He pushed the waistband of his pants down over his hips as Gabby wrapped her legs around his waist. Guiding his hard length to her moist opening, he thrust in. And for a time, breakfast was forgotten. A little while later, after they had showered and dressed, Gabby started over with making breakfast since her first attempt had been interrupted. Tanner stood behind her, his hands on her hips, the warm hard length of his body pressed against her backside and his lips nibbling on the bit of skin just below her ear. “Tanner, I will never get breakfast made if you don’t stop that!” He chuckled softly, the warm gust of his breath hitting against the wet area of her neck he’d been concentrating on and sending shivers up her spine. He really was pathetic, he thought as he released her and gave her some room to cook. He hoped he got over it soon. The phone rang and Gabby asked him to get it. “Hello?” “Ummm, Tanner?” “Hey Brat! What’s up?” “Ah, how about you answering my best friend’s phone at 8:30 in the morning,” she answered with a bit of humor in her voice. “Is there something I should know about?” “Probably, but I think I’ll let Gabby tell you so I don’t get my butt kicked.” Christy laughed. “Wise decision. You learn quick, Tanner!” Gabby came up beside him and held her hand out for the phone. He grinned and handed it over. “Your breakfast is ready,” she informed him as she accepted the handset from him. Tanner swatted her on the butt with his hand as he passed her and smiled when he was rewarded with a little yelp and a dirty look. “Hey Christy, what’s up?” “Apparently you and Tanner,” she answered. “Come on, spill it.” “Spill what?” Gabby taunted. She knew what Christy wanted to hear, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to discuss it over the phone with Tanner just a few feet away. “Don’t bullshit me, Gab, I know you too well. Tanner spent the night last night, didn’t he?” “Yes, Frank Dunlap invited himself into my apartment last night. He lied to the manager, told him he was my uncle and the manager let him in while I wasn’t here.” Gabby twirled the phone cord around her finger. “Jeez, Gabby. Did he threaten you?” “No, but he now knows that I’m interested in scuba diving and Tanner says it is just a matter of time before he figures out that I am going after what’s on that plane and that Tanner is helping me, so Tanner is going to stay here with me until this is settled.” Gabby turned and looked towards the kitchen and saw Tanner carrying his empty plate to the sink. “Listen, Chris, I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you soon, okay?” “Alright, I’ll let the fact that you didn’t answer my question about you and Tanner slide for now, but you take care of yourself, okay?” Gabby chuckled, knowing she’d been busted. “Okay, bye.” “Bye.” Gabby hung up just as Tanner came into the living room. “You going to eat something?” he asked as he slipped his arms around her waist and drew her close. It amused Gabby that Tanner went after her with the same determination that he used to try and stay away from her. Once he decided to give in to his desire for her, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. “I’ll just grab some toast. I’m not a big breakfast eater and I know you want to get started,” she answered, slipping her arms up around his neck and raising her face for the kiss she knew was coming. Tanner forced himself to keep the kiss simple, just a brushing of his lips against hers before releasing her. He could too easily lose himself in her again if he wasn’t careful. “We do have a lot to do today, so let’s get going.” Abruptly he let her go, leaving Gabby feeling a bit bereft. “So what is on the agenda for the day?” Gabby called from the kitchen as she waited patiently for the toaster to do its thing. “Just a little more book learning, then back to the pool. You will learn quicker by experience,” he responded from the doorway. “You know you can just do the classroom stuff here, Tanner. What’s the difference if you’re lecturing me there versus here?” The toaster popped up the two slices of bread and Gabby went about spreading on butter. “The difference, sweetheart, is the few feet from the living room to your bedroom.” Gabby turned a nice shade of pink, causing Tanner to laugh. “If we stayed here, lecturing you on the basics of scuba diving would be the furthest thing from my mind, so it’s best that we go to the PADI School where I will be forced to behave and keep my hands off you. Is that enough difference for you?” Gabby nodded quickly, though personally she would have rather stayed here. Spending the day in bed with Tanner sounded like heaven to her! It was shortly after noon when Frank Dunlap’s private phone rang. He picked it up on the first ring. “Yeah?” “Tanner Graves is a professional scuba diver. He heads up the PADI School here in Miami and is considered one of the best at what he does. He does some freelance diving for those who can afford it, but mainly he runs the school.” “Son of a bitch,” Frank growled. He was afraid this was going to happen. Gabrielle was not one to take Jacob’s “accident” at face value. If she convinced Graves that there was foul play, then he would stop at nothing to help her uncover the truth behind her father’s death. “Also, Graves is staying with the Krinard woman at her apartment now. I got a report this morning that they were seen coming in last night and Graves had a duffel bag with him and he never left. This morning they headed over to the PADI School, where they’re at right now.” Frank wanted to kill something. Having Graves staying with Gabrielle now would present a problem. He also suspected that they were romantically involved. Graves would have to be completely blind not to notice how Gabby had filled out in all the right places along with her pretty face. He also had noticed how protective Graves had been when he had come in to Gabby’s apartment to find him there the other night. Tanner Graves was a problem, and like all problems he needed to be dealt with. Soon. “Keep an eye on them, especially Graves. His time left on this earth has just shortened.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Treasure - Chapter 7 |