Hotter

Tony investigated Marvin. The man was a pitiful fool, unfit to lead the division of hard working drug sales representatives. He was a poster child for incompetence, greed and malice. Marvin returned the favor and had Tony investigated. Tony learned what he needed to know, and Marvin found out, one hundred percent of Tony's records were sealed and classified.

Marvin might have been a fool, but his company position gave him a lot of power. He erred when he thought LeeAnn would do anything to keep her cushy job and commensurate salary. Marvin's second indecent proposal came less than a week after they returned to the company headquarters.

LeeAnn was unhappy dealing with Marvin. But, she had dealt with worse. It was her telling Tony that was the looming Haboob, probably or maybe just possibly threatening the stability she and this dark and dangerous man had created. For the first time, in their relationship, she was wary, and unsure, of his reaction. Tony had discussed and then catalogued, Marvin's first fumbling leer and suggestive proposal. LeeAnn wondered if the second one would have Tony thinking she was soliciting Marvin's overtures.

Tony wasn't home when she reached his place. The house was a virtual fortress that demanded a learned sequence of moves to get in. LeeAnn shook her head and followed the protocol. Tony had run her through the drills so many time she could do it in her sleep. The precise reason he was so insistent she practice was that he had to live in the security of the fence and locked gate.

*

Identifying herself in front of the camera, LeeAnn kicked off her heels and dropped her briefcase in the guest closet by the door. She turned on the gas fireplace to counter the chill from the drizzling rain, and poured herself a healthy glass of wine from the congratulatory bottle Marvin sent home with her. Covering up with a throw she pulled from the closet LeeAnn sat contemplating her career and where she was heading with her life, staring at the flames flickering in the darkening room. Most of all she thought about Tony.

Having been notified by phone that his home's front door had been opened, Tony turned on the inside cameras and watched her movements from his phone screen. He had to wait for a contact, so he followed her as she sat on the couch. From her body movements and the other clues she was displaying LeeAnn had weighty problems on her mind.

She kept touching the collar, and he wondered what significance that was.

For all his self-assurance and capabilities Tony was aware of his depressing and obscure personality. LeeAnn wouldn't be the first woman to leave, unable to cope with his tight leashed, compulsive control.

She was the first woman that had been bold enough to approach him here in the States. European women were different. They liked the untouchable and unattainable personalities. They seemed to relish taking them on as a challenge. But LeeAnn had been different from the get-go.

She had been a scrapper and seemingly independent. When he announced her apartment was indefensible and that she was coming to live at his place, LeeAnn had a predictable strong resistance. She had gone toe to toe, and nose to nose with him, resisting his efforts to compel her to stay where he could keep her safe and sound. Finally, weary of the continuous struggle, he had asked her why.

"Because I'm afraid you'll tire of me and ask me to leave." Her honesty was a painful amazement to him.

Tony had stared at her as his mind replayed the words that had just fallen out of her mouth. How could she not know? She had his collar? He had invited her. It was settled as far as he was concerned. It was no big deal. Tony had done everything except communicate to Annie that he wanted her there.

LeeAnn watched as Tony flashed her an unguarded puzzled look, like the thought had never crossed his mind. That was encouraging to her but it might still leave her hung out to dry when the time came that he needed new challenges. Tony had a reputation for frequently needing new challenges. Tony wasn't the only one that investigated a new partner.

They finally compromised. LeeAnn sublet her apartment for a year.

Tony hadn't been happy and he let her know by muscling her with his personality. In his mind that muscling was a punishment for her independence. Miss LeeAnn had a stubborn streak that hadn't shown in her profile. Tony realized that when she drew her line in the sand and put her toe on it, she was a hell of a stubborn woman. That stubbornness made him smile in the anticipation of working that trait out of her personality.

So, there had to be a big reason she was moping around his house today. Less than a minute later his contact showed and Tony passed the money for the information. During the drive home and in the snarl of evening commute, he was thinking about LeeAnn. She would tell him tonight what the problem was.

He had discovered the leggy, strawberry blonde was honest to a fault. He preferred his women that way. He'd had his fill of conniving females, that's why they were past history.

As Tony activated the gate and swung into the drive, he noted her Jeep was parked off to the side of the drive way, on the gravel. She had discovered an oil drip, that morning, on the pavement and cleaned it immediately. Then made an appointment for repair, so she said, for Saturday morning.

Tony had been mildly annoyed she hadn't cleared the day and time with him, but then she was a hell of an independent woman. He enjoyed taming and bring calm order to wild women. It was an enjoyable task, a most useful hobby as he liked to think of it.

Annie had changed into sweats and removed her make up, and she was sound asleep on the couch; perhaps six swallows of her wine gone. Tony looked at the dark circles under her eyes. Obviously, she wasn't getting enough sleep. He grinned, thinking there was a very good reason for that.

Tony dismissed the housekeeper, thanking her for preparing supper. Mrs. Hannah nodded, happy to be off early on a Friday night.

An hour later, LeeAnn was deep asleep, almost to the point of comatose. Tony frowned, she wasn't that deep a sleeper. He sniffed the wine in her glass, and took a tentative taste. It was very subtle, but there; an odd aftertaste. Tony looked at the bottle with ribbons tied on the neck. The card read; to LeeAnn, congratulations on the Dillon account. Great Work. Marvin.

Tony figured the bastard had drugged the wine. He sat in his chair, watching her sleep; alert to any complications she might have from what ever had been put in the wine.

Marvin had just upped the stakes considerably. Tony was reasonably confident, that Marvin would suffer for his indiscretions, as Tony took great offense, when a woman in his care was threatened.

The more Tony watched LeeAnn, the more concerned he became. Finally, he got LeeAnn's little black book from her purse and called her friend Janey.

When Janey answered, she had slurred, slow speech, acting like she was going to fall asleep on the phone. Tony got her to hang up, and he called a friend.

"Brett, will you do a wellness check for me? I suspect my Lady and her friend have been drugged, with wine. Yeah, I have a suspect and I'm taking LeeAnn to County General. Break down Janey's door if you have too, I'll cover the cost. I just had her on the phone, and she's bad."

Tony packed up LeeAnn and went to the hospital. Forty-five minutes later an ambulance brought Janey. Brett had Janey's bottle of wine and Tony had LeeAnn's. Brett took both of the bottles and noted Tony's glowering countenance as he tried to intimidate the staff into letting him be with LeeAnn.

"Back off," Brett told the wild-eyed man. You are not helping by getting in the nurses way. "And no you can't demand to be let in there. You have no legal right and may be under suspicion yourself."

Brett thought it interesting that Tony was having such an intense reaction. Usually Tony's girl friends were like the swinging doors on a western saloon. Coming and going fast enough to create a breeze.

Tony growled a dark, unpleasant, but descriptive act at his friend. All he got was a good laugh from Brett. "Uh-oh. Do I detect concern from the great Tony? What is this, a notable first?"

As an answer, Tony doubled up his fist and stepped closer to his grinning friend. In response, Brett stood up and arched his eyebrow. Equally matched, it would have been a stalemate between friends.

"Yeah," Tony admitted, and stood down from the confrontation.

Brett had the wine analyzed. The thick, syrupy residue in the bottom, pure Celexa, an anti-depressant noted for causing extreme fatigue as a side effect. It had been a deliberate poisoning.

LeeAnn and Janey recuperated at Tony's place and for some reason Brett became a more frequent visitor. Brett and Janey slowly working toward the same discoveries that Tony and LeeAnn were exploring. The couples becoming friends with deep bonds.

Both men supervised the ladies as they recovered. Carefully, no mention was made of the tainted wine, as Tony and Brett worked to discover who had the prescription for Celexa.

They hit the jackpot when they discovered it was Marvin's deceased Aunt that had a three-month supply renewed three days before her death.

Brett repeatedly warned Tony to let the department handle it, and Tony superficially agreed and went ahead with his own plans. Tony was a man that believed in the adage, 'not on my watch'. And his watch included LeeAnn and friends.

There was a big fuss on the Friday night. LeeAnn returned to Tony's with a written work reprimand and still feeling the effects of the drug induced fatigue. Combining the induced fatigue, Marvin's roll in its implementation, and now Tony's anticipated reaction, they both were in emotional overload.

Marvin had declared LeeAnn's gold collar unacceptable 'personal adornment.' He called it distracting to workplace morale He was ordering her to lose it or be fired. LeeAnn had refused, and was now on suspension pending an HR review. LeeAnn had made big waves before she left the office, now it remained to be seen how clean those waves would wash away the grudge Marvin was causing.

"Bastard," Tony had growled when he heard, pacing up and down behind the couch LeeAnn had collapsed upon. LeeAnn propped her arm on the couch and shaded her face with her hands. "Tony," she requested quietly, "please don't," and she gave a huge exhausted sigh.

Tony acted as though he hadn't heard her, continuing to pace while spewing hate and discontent.

LeeAnn went to the bedroom and washed her face removing all traces of her 'professional' attitude. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she wrapped her arms around herself as far as she could. It would have to do, evidently she wasn't going to get any support from Tony.

Tony eventually missed her and went looking. "Hey" he murmured low, putting his arm around her as he sat beside her. "Are you all right?"

LeeAnn shook her head no. "I'm going to quit," was her response. "I don't let people talk to me the way Marvin did. I don't let people talk about you the way Marvin did. He had the nerve to call my parents and involve them, telling them you were keeping me as a sex slave. Mom and Daddy will be here tomorrow. My Dad's not a nice man Tony, especially when he has blood in his eye." She warned.

"They are welcome, LeeAnn, I have nothing to hide."

"That is not so, Tony." LeeAnn was composed. "Do you realize I don't even know what you do for a living? Marvin spouted off some drastic accusations, and I couldn't refute them, as I didn't have a clue. It's never been important to me, but in a case like today, it made me feel pretty stupid that I didn't know."

Tony put both arms around LeeAnn, "I kill people for a living," his voice was tightly controlled. "I am the designated sniper on a SWAT team." He waited for her to throw off his arm and run screaming from the room. "Every day when your gone to work, I practice short and long range shots. I have a range in the basement."

Tony noticed LeeAnn didn't bat an eyelash at his big secret reveal. "Good," she said, "unless you're going to charge me range time, I can practice here."

"Practice what?" Tony arched an eyebrow, feeling out of synch with the conversation.

"My CC weapon, the one I carry in my purse," LeeAnn replied, bending down to scratch her ankle.

"You mean to tell me you have been bringing a gun in and out of this house and you didn't tell me?" He demanded coldly, clamping his hand around her arm.

LeeAnn looked at him and said, "I guess I didn't. I'm not apologizing Tony. I've carried that weapon for five years. You hadn't explained your reason for living like a prisoner here behind this fence, nor what you do for a living and I didn't reveal I carry a gun until today. So, I guess that makes us about even."

The way Tony was muttering under his breath it didn't sound like he thought they were even. LeeAnn had never seen him so pissed. Tony was furious; mostly at himself for overlooking a basic precaution.

Be pissed and be dammed she thought to herself. Don't pull your macho rank crap on me. LeeAnn got up and went to the kitchen. She was hungry. Her attitude transferred to Tony.

Tony caught her halfway down the hall, slamming her against the wall and holding her hands above her head as he jammed a knee between her legs. He kissed her hard, it was a punishment not a loving exchange.

He was still so mad he was growling as he tried to talk. LeeAnn looked at him calmly, and when she could speak, she said, "If you give it rough, you can expect to get it rough," and she bit him on the lip.

"Son of a Bitch," he roared, expecting to intimidate the woman he was holding immobile, not expecting to have her retaliate. This woman was full of surprises, and Tony had never tolerated surprises from his women. He was almost completely off his game in an instant.

LeeAnn didn't back down, nor did she show fear. She was watching him carefully, but her body wasn't tensed. His angry eyes were burning into her. Her eyes weren't defiant, they were calm and she wasn't afraid of him.

"Be careful Tony," LeeAnn warned again. "If your rough, I'll return the favor." She watched as Tony shut his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. They were both trembling. "You are wicked," he enunciated slowly. He felt her nod her head.

"I've never met a woman that can make me lose control as you can." His husky whisper told his words to the corner of her mouth.

"Why aren't you afraid of me and my temper?" he asked her. Then he made note that there was a slight hesitation between what she considered saying and what she actually said.

"Because I'm not," her voice was steady.

"Perhaps you would be wise to have fear," It was almost but not quite a threat.

"Because the fear I have is different," Again puzzling, ambiguous words. She refused to explain further. "Let my hands down and I will make love to you as an equal. Take me by force and you will regret it." A challenge, but Tony believed her. He sighed and relaxed his grip.

When did she get to be so important? He touched the necklace, and knew it was when she agreed to wear his collar.

LeeAnn took a chance and pushed down with her imprisoned hands. When her fingers felt his shoulders, they moved to his face and she wove her hands together as they met at the nape of his neck. She pulled him close for a kiss. A woman's kiss."

"I apologize," he said stiffly. "I had no idea you carried a gun."

"That's the element of surprise, that I hope someday, will save my life."

Tony nodded. Are you happy here LeeAnn?"

LeeAnn had to look at him sharply. Tony seldom if never expressed doubts, or hesitations. So, she figured the answer was very important to him.

"My being here in this place feels like an imprisonment to me. It is something different to you. But you," she contracted her muscles around him; "you never disappoint." LeeAnn whispered in a thick voice letting him see for the first time the emotional connection she felt to him. She had love for him, and it was his for the taking.

Tony's eyes searched her face for long seconds. When he spoke, he was self-assured and in command, Tony smiled back at her with the intensity she had come to expect when he was extremely aroused.

He nuzzled her neck at the pulse point where she applied her perfume. He inhaled the rich and spicy scent of Opium as he rubbed her skin with his face. A low sound from his throat, a growl that betrayed the extent of his arousal and involvement escaped his throat.

LeeAnn's sensuous blue eyes darkened to deep cornflower blue as she locked her eyes on his. The smile she gave him, warmed him all the way to the bedroom.

LeeAnn's parents were there at 5:30 the next morning, tooting the horn and swearing into the speaker box at the gate. Or at least her father was. Lieutenant Colonel Jack Wiggens, (retired) had a mouthful of suggestions as to what might happen to Tony if he didn't get that gate open in a hurry.

Tony reached for his watch and looked at the time. Dark swear words spit on the floor. "Your old man must think he's pretty important." Tony snarled.

"I believe he does." LeeAnn had spoken with amusement in her voice.

"Are you setting me up?" Tony ground out.

"I told you yesterday they were coming, you didn't ask any more questions." She chided him.

"You know full well why I didn't." Tony was pissed all over again.

"And I didn't get any supper after not having eaten all day either." LeeAnn raised her voice right back at him.

Tony hit the buzzer on his key chain and the gate activated. "God, your pissy when you're hungry."

"I am, aren't I," LeeAnn cheerfully agreed, and got out of bed to turn the kitchen lights on and make coffee.

LeeAnn opened the door and welcomed her parents. Jack walked briskly in and immediately searched the kitchen for the bastard that was imprisoning his little girl.

LeeAnn and her mother Melanie exchanged glances, and Melanie whispered, "are you alright?" in a worried voice. Taking in the sleep rumpled, tousled hair appearance of her daughter.

"Never better Mom, if Dad was able to listen, I'd tell him." LeeAnn grinned. "Don't go anywhere, this is going to be interesting: I found a man exactly like Dad."

"Oh Lordy," Melanie breathed out, "I hope there's not a fight. Oh damn, he's handsome Lee, look at him." Melanie whispered and watched as Tony appeared and leaned against the door frame, alert and never taking his eyes off Jack.

"I do Mom, all day and night long." LeeAnn had emotion in her voice, as she smiled at Tony.

"That's what I needed to hear," Melanie heard the love in her daughter's voice, and patted her hand. "Now what about him?" The older carbon of LeeAnn stared at the tall, dark, and handsome Tony.

"It's there, Mom, he doesn't know how to identify it, or what to call it." LeeAnn unconsciously touched her collar when she looked at Tony, and her small movement caught his eye. As they looked at each other, the air fairly sizzled and crackled between them.

There was such a charged moment, even Jack stopped his tirade, aware of the communication between LeeAnn and her man. Jack cut his eyes to his wife and was rewarded with a smile and a nod of her head.

Melanie was signaling to him that everything was alright.

"Front and center," Jack barked at Tony, who didn't move a muscle. Jack Wiggens was no obstacle to Tony. Both men as physically fit as their ages would allow, both supremely confident and both used to having their orders carried out immediately. A Pitbull standoff; LeeAnn smiled to herself.

LeeAnn wandered into the invisible fight ring circle, and put her arm through Tony's left arm. "Dad, this is Tony Armitage. Tony, this is my Father Jack Wiggens and my mother Melanie."