Tainted Evidence (Evidence Series Book 10)

by Rachel Grant

  She was on her own for undergarments too. It was too bad Arthur didn’t have a line of branded sports bras, but the gym’s clientele leaned heavily male.

  He dropped several twenties on the table to pay for the clothes. Arthur had told him to take what he needed and not worry about the cost, but Josh paid his debts, and this was definitely on him.

  He left the office, locking the door behind him, and walked along the back wall, passing the men’s and women’s locker rooms on his way to the private unisex shower where Maddie was. There were a dozen people working out on the main floor, some lifting, some on the rowing machines, one guy doing pull-ups with the vigor that came at the start of a rep.

  He nodded to Arthur, who stood to the side talking with one of the trainers, then ducked into the alcove in front of the unisex shower. He could just hear the sound of running water through the thick walls. He knocked on the door. “Maddie, I’ve got clothes. I’m coming in.” He used his key to unlock the door and stepped into the bathroom thick with white steam. “I’ll just leave these on the counter and go.”

  She shut off the shower. “No.”

  “No? You don’t want the clothes?”

  “No. I don’t want you to go.”

  His heart stuttered, but then he realized she was probably afraid. “You’re safe here. I promise. Arthur and I are the only ones who have keys, and the door is thick and the walls made of cinder block.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” She pulled aside the curtain and stepped from the vestibule. She had a towel around her hair and was in the process of drying her torso with another towel, slowly sliding the blue-and-white-striped cloth down the front of her body and along her arms and legs until it dropped to the floor and she faced him, fully, beautifully nude.

  He couldn’t stop his surprised—and admiring—gasp.

  She flicked her gaze to the doorknob beside him. “Lock the door.”

  He hesitated. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “It’s a spectacular idea. I want you, Josh. I have for weeks.”

  “I don’t want to take advantage. You’ve just been through an ordeal.” Hell, ordeal didn’t begin to describe it.

  “But I want to take advantage of you. I want to feel. To forget. To escape. You once promised me selfish pleasure. I want to be selfish with you.”

  He shouldn’t do this. She was wrecked and might regret it later. “I—uh—could just make you come.”

  She shook her head. “Do you have a condom?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Give me what I need, Josh.” It was the low, sexy plea in her voice that broke him. And the fact that she slid her fingers into the dark curls between her thighs as she added, “Please.”

  He turned and flipped the dead bolt to the locked position, then set the clean, dry clothes on the counter by the sink. He pulled out his wallet and plucked a condom from what was supposed to be a credit card slot. He set both wallet and condom on the counter.

  She stepped in front of him and pressed a hand to his chest. “I want you inside me. I need you inside me. Like I need air.”

  Her words and touch made his cock thicken. He wanted to give her everything she needed. Wanted the selfish sex he’d described in her ear that night as they stood with her pressed up against the side of his garage.

  Her hand slid down his body and found his fly. She undid his belt, button, and zipper and reached inside his boxer briefs and wrapped her hand around him, stroking the length of his penis. He groaned as his cock thickened even more in her hand. Her touch was everything.

  She kissed him as she stroked him, long, slow pulls that banished all thought from his brain. He placed one hand behind her neck and the other on her ass as their tongues explored and tasted.

  He’d lost track of how many times he’d kissed her, but each time, it felt new. As if the pleasure of mouths joining was something he’d never adequately explored before. He stroked her tongue with his, enjoying the texture, taste, and sound of her.

  In her hand, his cock was hard and aching.

  She pulled back from the kiss. “I don’t want foreplay. I don’t even want you naked. I don’t want anything but your cock inside me right now. I want to feel. I want this.” She ran her thumb over the tip of his penis, spreading precum to punctuate the last sentence.

  He grabbed the condom from the counter. “But you might not be ready for me.”

  “But that’s part of what I want too. I don’t care if I’m not ready, because it will make me feel. And that’s what I need. I want to get out of my head and just feel. Feel you. Feel me.”

  She took the condom from his hands and opened the packet, then rolled it down the length of him. “This is slippery enough.”

  Once he was sheathed, he scooped her up with his hands beneath her ass and carried her to the blank expanse of wall next to the shower vestibule. A large vertical rail was mounted to the wall for accessibility, and she gripped it with one hand and wrapped the other around his neck. She leaned her head against the cinder-block wall, and he noted the towel wrapped around her hair would offer some padding.

  He positioned the tip of his cock at her opening and held her gaze in a moment of exquisite anticipation.

  “Do it,” she whispered.

  He penetrated her with one smooth, glorious thrust. Lubrication was not a problem as he filled her and she clenched around him. Holy hell. He’d needed this feeling as much as she did.

  His brain shut down as pleasure flooded him. With each thrust, he chanted her name in his mind. Maddie. Maddie. Maddie.

  He pounded into her, thoughtless of the steamy room, the gym outside the locked door. All he could focus on was the sound of her moans, the feel of her slick and hot around him, the tightening of her thighs around his hips.

  There was nothing sweet about this coupling. It was hot and furious and superb. He felt her clench around him as she let out a cry of release. And to his ever-loving satisfaction, she kept making that sound, as if her orgasm was endless. He slid a hand between their bodies and thumbed her clit, and she cried louder, a guttural sound that would be the end of him.

  His orgasm drew ever closer, and he thrust harder, faster, driving into her. He closed his eyes as he tipped over the precipice and came inside her, likely straining the limits of the condom reservoir.

  He leaned forward, supporting her weight with one arm under her. He moved his other hand from between their bodies and gripped the handrail as he caught his breath.

  He opened his eyes to see Maddie’s face, eyes closed, jaw slack in a serene expression he’d put there. All the primal feelings he’d been feeling about her today converged and sprang from his throat. “You’re mine, Maddie Foster, and I’m never going to let you go again.”

  Maddie’s eyes shot open, the languid pleasure of postorgasm interrupted by Josh’s words. The problem was, she didn’t know if she liked his words or not. Part of her got a little thrill at his declaration, but another—bigger—part hadn’t forgiven him for abandoning her.

  Guilt swamped her. She’d used him for sex just now, with no thought for his feelings, what it would mean to him.

  She shifted in his arms, and his penis slid from her body. She unlocked her ankles from behind his back and lowered her feet to the floor. She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. “Thanks. I. Uh. That…was great.”

  Great didn’t begin to describe it, and yet her tone made it sound like she was lying.

  He placed a finger under her chin and gently raised her gaze to his. “It was better than great, and you know it. And I know I messed up, and that’s still between us.”

  She nodded. “Sex doesn’t change anything in that regard. Not for me.”

  “That’s fair. But I’m changed. I care about you, Maddie. I want more than a quickie in the gym shower.”

  “I don’t know if I can give you more. You hurt me, Josh. And you’re giving me whiplash with your hot and cold. Hell, the first few times we saw each other, you gave me a lec
ture on how this couldn’t happen, then you kissed me senseless.”

  She nudged at his chest so he’d step back, giving her a clear path away from the wall. “I respected your boundaries every time you told me we couldn’t be together. And every time you kissed me. You asked me out. I feel like I’m riding a yo-yo. I never made the first move until a few minutes ago.” She steeled her courage and met his gaze. “And I realize I shouldn’t have done it. Shouldn’t have used you. For that, I’m sorry.”

  His eyes were warm as he gave a small earnest smile. “I’m not, Maddie. Not even a little bit.”

  She closed her eyes, glad for that. She didn’t want to hurt him. She nodded, then without a word stepped into the shower and turned on the spray, rinsing sweat and the smell of sex from her body. She stepped out of the shower and grabbed a fresh towel from the rack, drying off in front of him. She resumed talking as if she hadn’t paused to clean up. “Okay, then, thank you for the sex, but I can’t give you more until you figure out what it is you want. Until you and Ava work out your issues. I’m done being jerked around.”

  She pulled the tags off the sweatpants, the plastic strips cutting into her skin as her mother’s voice played in her head, warning her she’d damage the fabric. But the plastic snapped, and the pants survived. She pulled them on her damp legs, the soft interior sticking to her skin. She’d have to go commando because she didn’t want to put on anything she’d worn in the forest today, ever again.

  She hit the floor pedal to raise the lid on the garbage can and saw the condom and wrapper. A glance over her shoulder showed Josh had cleaned himself while she’d rinsed. He was tucked away, belt buckled. Ready to face the world, and, as always, so damn handsome.

  She dropped her formerly favorite bra into the can, followed by her underwear, heels, and pantsuit. The only item she’d worn today that she would keep was Grandma’s gold watch, which she fastened to her wrist again before pulling the T-shirt over her head. Her order of operations was skewed, probably, but so was her brain.

  She noted the T was tight on her bust, and without a bra, it was downright indecent. She raised an eyebrow at him. “What is this, a kid’s size?”

  He gave her a sheepish grin. “Honest mistake. But it looks good on you.”

  She pulled on the hoodie, and Josh stepped in front of her, grabbing both sides of the zippered opening. He slid the pin into the box at the base and pulled up on the zipper tab, pulling her toward him gently as he did so.

  Her heart pounded at his nearness. They’d just had sex, and yet this felt intimate?

  “I’m going to work out my crap with Ava. And I’m going to win you back. You can’t scare me off now, if that’s what you’re trying to do, because I’m crazy about you, Madeline Foster.”

  She wanted to believe him. But she needed to protect her heart. “How do you know you don’t just want me because I look like Trina?”

  It was a hard, cutting question, but he didn’t even flinch. “You think I haven’t considered that? I did. That first night. That first week. But Maddie, I got to know you. I know you better after three weeks than I know Trina after four years. Honestly, I can’t even remember what Trina looks like when I look at you. I’m crazy about you.”

  Did she dare believe him? Or was he lying to them both?

  She had one more weapon in her arsenal, and she had to deploy it. “Okay, then. What if you only want me because after what happened today…I’m just another person you can try to fix? Isn’t that what you do, Josh? You take people in and try to save them?”

  This time, his nostrils flared. She’d hit him where it hurt.

  “It might be what I do, but that’s not why I want you.” His grip on the closed hoodie tightened. “I get that you can’t believe me right now, but you’re not going to push me away that easily. Listen, I’m out of pride. I’ll take whatever you want to give me. If that means you just want a screw in the gym bathroom to forget your troubles for a few minutes, I’m your guy.

  “If you want me to hold you all night long because you’ve been through an ordeal, I’ll do that too. You want a punching bag for your anger? I’ve earned that role. I’m here for you, however you’ll have me. Not because I want to fix you, but because I think you’re amazing just the way you are.”

  She rose on her toes and brushed her lips against his. She hesitated for a moment, then took the kiss deeper, a brief touching of mouths and tongues, then pulled back. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind. Now, let’s go to our new hotel, because I’m both exhausted and starving. I want to order room service, then crawl into bed and fall asleep while eating.”

  He smiled and cupped her face between his palms. “Thank you for not shutting me out.”

  “Thank you for finding me in the forest. For coming after me.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t stop him before he abducted you. That I didn’t get there sooner.”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Don’t apologize for things beyond your control. I don’t hold you responsible.”

  “But I do. I should have recognized him from the rally. Should have known you were in danger the moment you set foot inside the building. You were doxed because of me.”

  “I was doxed because of Troy Kocher, probably. Or because Cliff Nielsen insisted we attend the museum event. Those were both due to my work, not yours.”

  Josh’s gaze narrowed. “Do you think Kocher is trying to stop you from finishing your job?”

  “Maybe, but it doesn’t make sense. Technically, he’s the client. They’re paying me to do this inventory, and they can’t sell the house until I’m done. So what’s in it for him to stop me?”

  “But you’re also identifying artifacts that will be repatriated—what did you call them? Funerary objects?”

  She nodded. “You’ll also find them referred to as ‘grave goods,’ but most tribes find that term offensive.”

  “Could there be something that’s funerary that Kocher is worried you’ll identify? Something really valuable?”

  She shrugged. “Real archaeologists—not looters like the Kochers—don’t put a value on artifacts, so I really couldn’t know or imagine how an item in the collection could be worth so much, it would be worth having me abducted.”

  Josh nodded. “Still, it’s something worth considering.” He kissed her forehead, then released her, stepping back. “You ready to get out of here?”

  She nodded. “Take me home. Wherever that is today.”

  25

  Josh had finally slipped into a light sleep when he heard the creak of the other mattress in the room. He tried to ignore the sound, assuming Ava was using the bathroom, but instead of her light footsteps retreating, he felt the bed shift as she sat on his mattress.

  He opened his eyes to see her silhouette in the dark room. She’d pulled her knees up to her chin as she sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Uncle Josh, I—I’m sorry. I did a horrible thing.” Her voice was quiet, difficult to hear above the air conditioner, but he’d been waiting for this, and even though he’d been asleep a moment ago, he was now fully alert.

  “I’ve been wanting to tell you for days,” she continued, “but I’ve been so scared you’ll put me in foster care for what I did. Even now, I kind of hope you’re sleeping and aren’t hearing this.”

  “I’m awake, Ava.” He kept his voice gentle. He didn’t want to scare her into stopping.

  She sniffed. “I did it,” she said.

  He waited.

  After a long pause, she said, “All of it. Everything my dad accused me of.”

  This startled him. He’d expected her to confess to lying about Maddie. “What do you mean?”

  “I got him arrested on purpose. I knew the stuff in the garage was stolen. I was so mad he said I couldn’t be friends with Marcus anymore. We had a big fight, and I told him I hated him. He said all sorts of horrible things about trans people. I told him he was the monster, not Marcus. Then he—he called my mom a slut. Said she didn’t love me
enough to stick around. Said it was my fault she was dead. He said I was lucky he hadn’t abandoned me, because I could be living in the streets. Nobody would ever love me.”

  Josh’s heart broke for about the fifteenth time in the last twelve hours.

  “I told him you love me. You said you would take care of me. So he went into my bedroom and grabbed the expensive drone, the one you sent me in January.”

  He knew the one. It had been signed by the chief AI engineer, Leah Ellis. Leah was his friend and coworker Nate “Hawk” Sifuentes’s girlfriend. Josh and Leah had celebrated Hanukkah together a few nights. Later, Leah had managed to get a drone for Josh to give to Ava after they’d been sold out everywhere.

  “He smashed it. He destroyed my drone and said he’d do that to you if you ever came near me. That he’d beat up Marcus if he ever came to our house again.” She sniffled. “So, the next day, I called his work and played dumb. I didn’t think it would work. Didn’t think he’d get arrested. And then you had to move here to take care of me, and I felt so awful I’d ruined your life too.”

  Josh sat up and pulled her into his arms. “You didn’t destroy my life, Ava. Being here with you is exactly where I want to be.” He did marvel that it had never crossed his mind that she’d intentionally gotten her father arrested. He squeezed her tighter. Props to her for being more cunning than anyone—well, except Ari—realized.

  He leaned back on the pillows, keeping one arm around her. She rested her head on his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “After I read your letter to Trina—”

  He stiffened. He wouldn’t push her about snooping through his papers now, but he’d definitely revisit that point at a future time.

  “I—I got more worried. You didn’t come here for me at all. I was just a burden to you. You’re probably counting the minutes until you can be rid of me.”