Roark

by AC Arthur

  “We’re thinking that maybe if your mother warned Lemuel and Sandra Rayder about Kaymen being alive, she would’ve also warned Ronnella and Tony. Now, they may not have believed her, just as the Rayders didn’t take it very seriously. But, there’s no way Ronnella wouldn’t have heard about your mother’s death; even if, by chance she and your mother had no other contact with each other, they lived close to each other, and news of the fire was in the local papers,” Pierce added.

  “You think they were talking about the fires, wondering if it were Kaymen?” Roark asked.

  Cade shrugged. “We’ll never know, but whatever was said on that last call made Ronnella cancel her trip and put both of them literally in the line of fire less than twelve hours later.”

  “Now wait, you’re saying this guy is angry with his friends why?” Ridge asked. “I mean, who gets angry enough to go around killing people he hasn’t seen in however many years?”

  Cade and Pierce looked to Roark and Roark sighed.

  “Mum, Dad and their friends, they got drunk one night and there was an accident. They all got out of the car and ran away from the scene because they were underage. Kaymen Benedict didn’t get out.”

  “What? You’re saying our parents, the ones who wouldn’t tolerate us even lying about not eating broccoli, left someone to die and never said anything.” Ridge was speaking the very thoughts Roark had yesterday after the conversation with Sandra.

  “They were young and they all thought he was with them,” he said but then stopped because there wasn’t any more he could provide by way of an excuse. It was an awful thing to happen, but nothing they did or said at this moment was going to change it.

  “Our current issue is figuring out Kaymen’s next move. His endgame,” Pierce said.

  “He’ll want Sandra dead. She’s the last one, the only mistake he made. He’ll come for her,” Cade told them. “Now, whether he plans it to be a murder/suicide or he thinks he’s gonna walk away and somehow feel better about himself, I don’t much give a damn. My priority is to keep Sandra alive.”

  “If his plan is to walk away, won’t he just kill again? Shouldn’t the plan be to kill this bastard?” Ridge asked.

  “He’s only killing those who wronged him. For all intent and purposes, the killing should stop once Sandra’s gone.” Pierce didn’t sound convincing at all.

  “And what if it doesn’t?” Roark asked the question he knew everyone was thinking.

  “We’re going to focus on the first step for now, Kaymen’s endgame,” Cade said. “Stopping him before he can put his plan in motion.”

  “How are you going to do that? Do you even know where this guy is?” Ridge asked.

  “Once we knew it was Kaymen, we dug up everything we could find about him. It wasn’t much, especially not after the accident. His parents even had a funeral for him. Everybody thought he was dead. We know somebody had to help him out of that ditch. He would’ve been injured, badly burned, so there’s no possibility he just walked away on his own. Besides, if he had, he would’ve immediately gone in search of his friends.” Pierce shook his head. “We didn’t find any medical records, and there’s nothing on Kaymen after that time. No credit cards, no jobs, no home, no action on his social security number at all. He’s basically been dead for forty-five years.”

  “So why did he come back now?” Ridge asked.

  “That’s a good question,” Cade said. “But more importantly for us, how did Aunt Max know he was coming back long before he walked into her house and burned her alive? And why, if she knew he was eventually going to come for her, didn’t she do something to try to stop him, or at the very least protect herself?”

  “Cadence, the food is getting cold,” Aunt Birdie shouted from where she stood in the doorway, and the four men turned to look at her.

  “Uh, yes, ma’am. I’m coming now,” Cade said. “We’re on top of this. All you need to do is keep your security detail. Pierce and I will work out the rest.”

  Pierce nodded. “Right. I’m circling back to the MPD now to speak with the Chief Detective about last night’s developments. I’ll touch base with you later today, Cade. Since you’ve got to go eat your breakfast.” The sarcasm was thick in Pierce’s tone and if he weren’t such a serious, strait-laced agent, Roark might have chuckled at him.

  Cade only grinned. “No shame in my game,” he quipped and turned to walk toward Aunt Birdie.

  Pierce had left the room first but before Cade and Aunt Birdie could leave, Geoff appeared.

  “Sir,” Geoff said, looking directly at Roark. “Dorianne informed me earlier this morning that we had more guests. Is there anything else I can get for you or them?”

  “No, Geoff, thank you. We’re okay for now,” Roark said.

  “You work here too?” Aunt Birdie asked Geoff. She was staring at him strangely, and Roark moved to stand closer just in case she went off on a tangent and he needed to get her out of the room quickly.

  “I do,” Geoff said. He turned to Aunt Birdie and bowed in front of her. “I’m Geoffrey Ewing, Concierge of Donovan Manor, and I’m at your service.”

  Aunt Birdie continued to stare at him. “I knew a man named Ewing before,” she said quietly and then just as abruptly she waved Geoff out of her way and continued walking back toward the dining room.

  Cade followed her, leaving Roark, Ridge and now Geoff to stare after them.

  “Love her to pieces, but I swear she’s a strange one,” Ridge said when Aunt Birdie was clearly out of earshot.

  Roark didn’t reply but he was surprised to hear Geoff say, “We all have one in the family, I guess.”

  Geoff walked away, and Ridge looked at Roark. The brothers both shrugged and chuckled before going back to the dining room to join the others.

  “Hey, you.” Roark breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her. When she lifted her head and smiled, he inhaled even deeper at the quick onslaught of desire that punched him in the gut the moment he realized she was sitting in the hot tub.

  “Hey. Long time no see,” she replied.

  It’d been a long time, all day and a good portion of the night, which was why he’d gone around asking everyone currently staying in the clubhouse if they’d seen her. He’d finally lucked out when Dorianne said she’d suggested Tamika come here for a little peace and quiet.

  “I see you found a place to hide out for a while.” He continued walking toward her.

  The clubhouse had an indoor and outdoor pool, just like the manor. This part of the house was located on the far west end. She hadn’t switched on all the lights, so it was dark when he’d looked through the glass doors, but something had told him to enter anyway, and Roark was more than glad he had.

  “Aunt Birdie and Tuppence have a war of words going anytime they’re in a room together. My mother’s crying a lot, and Suri looks at me like she knows something I don’t.” She shrugged. “It just got a little overwhelming.”

  “I can imagine.” He was closer now, the steam from the bubbling water reaching up to make the skin on his arms feel warm.

  After dinner, he’d gone for a run around the property. It served a double purpose, one because he’d been off his workout regimen since coming here and two, he’d wanted to see the security he and Devlin had put in place. He wanted to make sure they were being protected from all ends. Ridge had opted not to stay at the clubhouse even though, after learning what was going on, Aunt Birdie had thought it best they all stay in one place. Ridge thought that would make them all sitting ducks, and he’d walked out amid Aunt Birdie’s ramblings.

  She leaned back against the lip of the hot tub. “I heard you went for a run.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I did. Relaxed me a bit, I guess. Then I had a shower before coming to look for you.”

  “Oh, well, then I guess inviting you to get into more water wouldn’t make sense.”

  The bubbles in the water created a frosted layer so he couldn’t tell if the burgundy halter top she wore was a one-piece or two
-piece bathing suit. It didn’t really matter, because the thought of her only wearing a bathing suit beneath that water had already begun to arouse him.

  “Water’s one of the best things for a body,” he replied.

  She chuckled. “I think that refers to drinking water, not sitting in it until your skin wrinkles like a prune.”

  “Whichever. I’m game.” If he grabbed his shirt and pulled it up and over his head too quickly, so be it. He wasn’t about to deny that sitting in a hot tub with Tamika was a much better way to spend the remainder of the evening than going back to his room and continuing to look through his mother’s emails.

  “Good, because this water feels divine.” She let her head fall back and made a groaning sound that caused his dick to throb.

  Roark went into the water, wearing only his boxers. He took it slowly even though his body was already rigid with arousal, because the water was hot as hell. Refusing to back out for fear of appearing weak in Tamika’s eyes, he kept going, praying the heat didn’t scorch the skin off his legs.

  “I used to treat myself to spa days once a month.” Her voice was soothing, and Roark decided to focus on that instead of the water temperature; besides, once he’d lowered himself all the way in, it felt a little better.

  “I used to hit the gym at least three times a week,” he added when he was able to sit back and almost relax.

  “It shows,” she said, but her head was still back, eyes still closed.

  There was so much more he wanted to ask her, more he wanted to know about her, but right now she obviously wanted to push everything out of her mind that didn’t make her feel good. He could relate to that—he just wished he were as good at it as she appeared to be. “I believe there’s a gym at the manor, along with two more pools and a full-service spa. You should check it out tomorrow.” The B&B was meant as a luxury getaway, even if they hadn’t been able to enjoy it in that way.

  “We’re not on vacation,” she said as if she were reading his mind. “If we were, I’d be asking for a refund.”

  Roark chuckled. “Yeah, I’d be with you on that request. There’s definitely a lot going on, but you know what? We can take this break. The house is secure, the manor is secure and Pierce and Cade have gotten the MPD involved now, so everybody’s looking for him. We can take this moment right here for ourselves.”

  “That’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past half hour.”

  She hadn’t moved, and he could no longer resist. Roark reached out and ran a finger along the line of her jaw. “I’d like to see you in action on a real vacation. I bet you’re the type to do all the excursions offered, especially the daredevil ones.”

  That comment got her to not only open her eyes, but to raise her head and let her arms fall into the water. “If I’m the daredevil, then what are you? Let me guess, you’re the ‘lay on the beach with your cool-ass shades on’ type of vacationer. You get the bartender to keep refilling your drink, and you’ve got a book you never really plan to read sitting on the towel beside you. That’s how you spend your day until it’s time to go in and take a meal. And in the evenings, you go for a swim, because the sun has gone down and its less crowded in the water.”

  “That’s precisely what I’d do if I ever got around to taking a vacation,” he admitted.

  He wasn’t surprised when she pursed her lips and shook her head. “It’s a shame I’ve got you all figured out.”

  Yes, that was a shame, because he still didn’t have her figured out yet. “But, if you were there, on that beach, I’d probably be persuaded to do anything you wanted.”

  She perked up. “Jet-skiing? Or no, ziplining. I was in Vegas last summer with one of my co-workers for her bachelorette party, and we were supposed to go ziplining, but one of the other girls got food poisoning, so we all hung around the suite that evening to make sure she didn’t vomit everywhere while we were out.”

  “That was…um, very noble of you.” He tried not to frown at the visual that had popped into his head.

  She shrugged. “It was no big deal. We ordered tons of room service and got drunk as hell. Had almost as much fun as if we’d gone out. It definitely made for a good memory. But I’d still like to go ziplining.”

  “Uh, well, you should definitely go ziplining then.”

  “But you wouldn’t do it, would you?”

  Roark paused to consider it, then shook his head. “I can be a very good cheerleader from the ground.”

  She exploded with laughter and smacked a hand on his shoulder. “You’re so predictable.” It wasn’t said in a sarcastic or nasty way, she’d just said it, much like she would’ve said the grass was green or this water was hot. Still, it pricked something deep inside Roark.

  He’d let his hand fall from her face as they were talking, but now he wanted to touch her again. This time he dipped his hand under water to find hers before lifting it up and bringing it over to his face. Just a few months ago, he’d worn a thick beard. The morning after his mother’s death, he’d shaved it off.

  Tamika instantly took over, rubbing her fingers along the line of his jaw and not jerking away at his obvious five o’clock shadow.

  “I think about your touch a lot, Tamika.”

  She tilted her head. “Do you?” Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Several tendrils had fallen to frame her face and as a result of the steamy air surrounding them were wet and sticking to her skin. She wore no makeup, and her skin appeared fresh and clear. Her lips were plump and kissable.

  He nodded. “More than you could ever imagine. I mean, like, probably on the brink of being porn.”

  She smiled again, and the sight slammed into his gut like a hammer. He did enjoy her smile.

  “But that’s not all,” he said by way of follow-up to his admission of thinking salacious thoughts about her.

  “Well, good. Tell me how else you think about me, Roark.” She eased closer to him then, and he wanted to scream hallelujah. Her other hand came up to touch his face as well.

  “I think about the sound of your voice and the way you smell. It’s always like flowers. I don’t know what brand of beauty products you use, but I’m ready to invest in their stock.”

  “You’re too funny,” she said, rubbing her thumbs along his cheek. “It’s a black-owned brand I found in Target.”

  He nodded. “See, if I invest, it’ll be available worldwide. Just give me the name, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  She continued to smile and to touch him. “I really like being with you, Roark.”

  He reached out then, putting his hands on her hips, and lifted her off the bench to straddle her on his lap. “That’s good, because I like being with you too.”

  Now her hands were behind his neck, cupping the back of his head. “I think we’ve been therapeutic to each other during our short time together.”

  He let his hands run up and down her back, discovering she wore a two-piece and trying desperately not to moan like a horny teenager. “This short time has seemed like months to me,” he admitted just as his fingers moved up to find the bow her halter straps were tied into and dismantle it.

  The material fell from her neck slowly. She lifted her arms slightly, and it eased down further until he could see her big, dark nipples. The sight made his dick jump. He would’ve had to be dead for it not to, and she undulated her hips over him.

  “Yeah,” she said, her voice growing just a little huskier. “I feel like it’s been longer too.”

  Roark found the other tie at her back and eased the top off her completely. “It feels like I’ve known you all my life but that I’ve just discovered how much more I want to know about you. If that makes sense.”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and sighed when he cupped her breasts. “Yeah, it makes perfect sense,” she whispered.

  He held the heavy globes in his hands, loving the weight of them, the sight of her nipples puckering at his touch, the way she tilted back to give him full access o
f her each and every time. “This makes sense. This moment right here, when I can look at you and touch you and think about nothing and nobody else but you.” Because that was exactly what Roark was doing at this moment.

  He stared down at his hands on her breasts and how natural and alluring they looked on her. When she arched into his touch, offering and waiting for him to take, he did.

  Dipping his head, he brought a breast up to meet his open mouth and sucked. Closing his eyes to the burst of pleasure, he gorged on the feel of that taut nipple gliding against his tongue and the hunger inside him blossom to epic proportions.

  She moved over him, pumping against his hard dick as if they both weren’t wearing bottoms keeping them from going further. He loved that bit of friction; even if it wasn’t penetration, her pussy was hot up against his dick. And no, it wasn’t the water—it was all her.

  He moved to the other breast, never wanting to slight one, and she continued to palm the back of his head. Not necessarily guiding him, but holding him in place as if she never wanted this to end.

  Never was a mighty long time.

  But he could definitely get on board with how good this was and how much it made him realize he’d been missing.

  With a quick move, he released her breasts and eased her off him. She didn’t hesitate but immediately stood in the center of the pool and removed the bottom of her bathing suit. He watched her sling the wet material to land somewhere outside of the pool and rushed to do the same with his boxers. Walking to her, Roark bent slightly at the knee and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up into his arms.

  She made a little sound of surprise before wrapping and locking her ankles at the base of his back. He took a few steps and was at the bench again. This time when he sat, he guided his dick into her waiting pussy, and they both sighed with pleasure.

  “I think about this too much,” she said as she lifted her hips and settled down over him once and then twice. “It makes me feel so wanton, like a sex-crazed teenager.”