by Rita Herron
Jacob stepped closer to her, then cradled her hands between his and pressed them to his chest. “I promise you we’ll find her, Cora. Keep the faith.”
The conviction in his tone made her believe anything was possible.
That she might have a future filled with love and laughter again and be reunited with Alice.
She looked up into Jacob’s eyes and became lost in the sensual brown depths. Jacob was one man who did what he said. Who never gave up.
A man she...was falling in love with.
Emotions glittered in his eyes as he brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. Her heart stuttered. Her breath caught.
She didn’t want to be alone tonight. Jacob angled his head, his dark eyes searching hers. Asking permission?
She parted her lips on a sigh, then stood on tiptoe, cradled his face between her hands and pulled him toward her. He met her halfway.
Then their lips melded in a kiss that sent tiny bursts of desire rippling through her.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jacob had wanted to kiss Cora again ever since his lips had first touched hers. Her sweet taste had invaded his senses. But what had moved him the most was the fact that she’d trusted him enough to return his kiss.
He pressed his lips to hers and drew her closer to him, teasing her lips apart until he dove his tongue inside. She made a low sound in her throat as if she wanted more, and he deepened the kiss.
She threaded her fingers through his hair, and he raked his hands down her back to her hips, pulling her against his hardening body. Need and hunger spiked his blood, and he walked them backward toward her sofa.
She ran her foot up his leg, tormenting him further, and tugged at the top button of his shirt. His breath rushed out in a burst of passion, but he forced himself to pull back and look into her eyes.
They had to slow down, or he was going to take her on the floor.
She clung to him with a whimper and gazed back at him, need flashing in her beautiful eyes.
“Cora,” he murmured. “We shouldn’t do this.”
“Why not?” she asked in a raw whisper. “We’re adults. I want you. Don’t you want me?”
He arched a brow and pushed his thick length against her. “You know I do. But I want to protect you, not take advantage.”
“You aren’t taking advantage,” she said. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
His lungs strained for air. “Are you sure?”
A smile curved her mouth, and she gave a little nod, then took his hand and led him to her bedroom. She lit a candle on her dresser, then turned to him, a vulnerable look on her face.
“It’s been a long time for me,” she said softly. “I haven’t been with anyone since the divorce.”
Her admission only fired his emotions and made him want her more. “I’m honored that you’d even consider me.”
“Jacob,” she said softly. “You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever known.”
His heart swelled with longing and...love. No...it was too soon to think about love.
He had to find Alice first.
But she reached for his buttons again, and he forgot about rational thought and the case and anything except holding and touching her. He removed his holster and gun and placed it on the nightstand, then stripped his shirt. The look of pure desire in her eyes nearly sent him to his knees.
No woman had ever looked at him like that.
He cupped her chin between his fingers, angled her face and kissed her again. Deep and hungry, long and sensual. His breathing turned raspy as he slipped her T-shirt over her head. His body hardened at the sight of her black lacy bra. Her breasts were full and voluptuous and overflowed the lacy barriers, her nipples stiff against the lace.
She reached for his belt and slid it off, then lowered his zipper. Just the sound of it rasping made his heart pound with excitement. He reached for hers as well, and within seconds, they’d shed their jeans and tossed them to the floor.
The scrap of black lace covering her sweet femininity elicited a groan from deep in his chest. The smile that she graced him with at the sound of his arousal made him throw her back on the bed.
Inhibitions fled as their tongues mated and danced in a sensual rhythm, and their bodies rubbed together, teasing and tantalizing, skin against bare skin.
He trailed kisses down her throat and neck to the swell of her breasts. She was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted. He unfastened the front clasp of her bra, inhaling sharply as her breasts spilled out. Her nipples were tight and pink, begging for his mouth.
He closed his lips over the tip, suckling her and drawing one stiff peak between his lips. She moaned and raked her fingers over his back, her nails digging into his skin, urging him to continue.
He teased and tormented her until she clawed at his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved against her, craving her even more, and she pushed at his boxers until he shed them and tugged off her panties.
Heart racing, he climbed above her and kissed her until she begged him to join his body with hers.
* * *
CORA RAKED HER hands down Jacob’s back, sensations spiraling through her. It had been so long since she’d experienced pleasure that Jacob’s kisses almost sent her over the edge.
He paused long enough to roll on a condom, then rubbed his thick length against her thighs. She moaned and parted her legs, urging him to move inside her. He kissed her deeply again, his tongue mimicking their lovemaking, and she gripped his hips and pulled him closer.
He stroked her thighs again, then probed her opening with the tip of his sex, tormenting her. She closed her hand around his hard length then guided him to her.
One thrust, and she moaned his name as he pushed deeper, pulled out, then thrust inside her again. Her body quivered with excitement, passion igniting between them and urging him deeper and deeper. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him as he pumped faster and harder, stirring her hunger to a fever pitch.
She murmured his name again as erotic sensations spiraled through her, and her orgasm claimed her. He buried his head against her neck as he thrust again, then he groaned her name as he came inside her.
Cora savored the feel of his warm body against hers as they clung to each other, bodies hot and intertwined, breathing ragged. Lost in pleasure, she couldn’t bear to release him. She wanted him again. And again.
The thought frightened her. Yet she deserved to have pleasure, didn’t she?
Jacob nuzzled her neck, then slowly extricated himself and disposed of the condom. She missed his body next to hers while he was in the bathroom, but she tugged the covers over her, still tingling from his touch.
Seconds later, Jacob crawled in bed under the covers with her and drew her into his arms. “That was wonderful,” he whispered against her hair. “Are you okay, Cora?”
She curled into his arms and pressed her hand over his bare chest. She could feel his heart beating. Strong. Caring. Loving.
She felt a strong attraction that was more than physical. She liked the man. She admired him. She...wanted to be with him again.
“I forgot what it was like to be held,” she said softly. “To not be alone.”
His breath rasped out, and he dropped a kiss into her hair. “You don’t have to be alone, not anymore.”
She couldn’t make promises, and she didn’t expect him to. But she appreciated his words and the fact that he was still here in her bed. That he wasn’t spooked by all her baggage and her emotions, and the fact that some people in town thought she was unstable.
“What about you?” she asked softly. “Why is a handsome eligible bachelor like you still alone?”
“Work.”
“I don’t believe that,” Cora asked. “You must have women throwing themselves at you.”
Jacob chu
ckled, then looked into her eyes. Tension and passion simmered between them, his eyes darkening with need again. “I guess I haven’t met the right person,” he murmured.
Their gazes locked. Cora’s heart fluttered. She’d thought she’d met the right person when she married Drew. But theirs had been a whirlwind romance, and hadn’t lasted. Now she realized the two of them weren’t really meant for each other.
What about her and Jacob? Was it possible that Jacob might care about her more than as just a woman who needed his help?
* * *
EMOTIONS WARRED INSIDE Jacob. He was getting way too close to Cora.
Hell, they’d gotten naked and sweaty together. And it wasn’t just sex, dammit. He’d made love to her.
He wanted to do it again, too. Tonight. And tomorrow.
He’d never thought about being lonely. He’d simply been alone and focused on his job. On finding the person responsible for his father’s death.
But the thought of leaving Cora and not holding her again made his stomach knot.
She tilted his head down toward her and kissed him, and he forgot to think. He gave himself in to the moment, and they made love again, this time slow and languid. They took time to explore every inch of each other’s bodies with slow kisses and tender touches. Her soft moans of pleasure were so titillating that he teased her with his tongue and mouth and fingers until she crawled on top of him.
He cradled her breasts in his hands, then licked each nipple, tugging one in his mouth to suckle her. She threw her head back in wild abandon, her body swaying as she impaled herself onto his erection.
He groaned and gripped her hips, thrusting into her with his whole being. His heart pounded, need and hunger driving him to increase the tempo until their bodies shook and convulsed with pleasure.
She collapsed on top of him, and he wrapped her in his arms and rolled sideways, tucking her close until she fell asleep in his arms. He hugged her next to him, knowing tomorrow he’d have to resume his role as sheriff instead of Cora’s lover.
But tonight, he intended to revel in the pleasure of their bodies nestled together where they blocked out the world.
And the fact that a kidnapper might have sold Cora’s baby five years ago.
Hopefully Liam and his team would crack this kidnapping ring, and Evie would divulge what she knew, and they could make an arrest. Someone, the head of the operation, or the person who’d actually stolen Cora’s baby from the hospital, had to know where Alice was.
He fell asleep with dreams of bringing Cora’s daughter back into her life but woke a few hours later with his mind humming that he needed to get up and get busy.
He slid from bed, then stepped into the shower. He quickly washed and dried off, then wrapped a towel around his waist just as he heard his phone ringing. He hurried to the nightstand, snatched the phone and stepped back into the bathroom to answer it.
“It’s Griff,” his brother said.
“Yeah?”
“IT just called about Kurt Philips’s computer. They found a reference to that woman Faye Fuller.”
Jacob tensed. “And?”
“She was never married. And the adoption she claims was legal was never filed. Philips suspected she might have bought the child.”
Dammit. “Do you have the name of her lawyer?”
“No, that’s just it. He couldn’t find anything on the adoption. It was almost as if it never happened.”
Maybe it hadn’t. Cora had thought Faye’s little girl seemed familiar. Had been fired because she’d asked questions about her. She’d been nearly killed, and Faye was close by.
“I’ll talk with her,” Jacob said.
He looked up and saw Cora watching him. Her hair looked tousled, her cheeks chafed from his lovemaking. She raked her gaze over his near-naked body, and heat flared in her eyes.
He wanted to take her back to bed. Make love to her over and over.
“Jacob?”
Griff’s voice jerked him back to the moment. “Yeah. Anything on that key?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay, keep me posted.” He ended the call, forcing his mind away from images of Cora naked and panting beneath him.
Cora inhaled. “What is it?”
He cleared his throat. “After the incident with your allergic reaction, I decided to run a background on Faye Fuller.”
Cora’s eyes widened. “And?”
“So far, we haven’t found a record of her adoption.”
Cora leaned against the doorjamb. “Then she lied to me?”
“She could have an explanation, but I’m going to question her,” Jacob said.
“I’ll go with you.” Cora threw off her robe, turned on the shower water and climbed inside.
Jacob wanted to join her, but now wasn’t the time. He had to focus.
While she showered, he dressed and made coffee. By the time she emerged in a clean T-shirt and jeans, he’d retrieved his clean clothes from his vehicle, changed into them and prepared scrambled eggs and toast.
“I’m not hungry,” Cora said as she eyed the breakfast.
“Maybe not, but let’s eat. It’s early. Faye and her daughter may not even be up.”
She reluctantly agreed and joined him at the table. A smile softened her face when he served her plate.
“And you cook? What don’t you do, Jacob Maverick?”
He blushed. He wasn’t accustomed to such intimacy with a woman.
“Thank you,” she said as she forked up a bite of eggs.
“You’re welcome.” He wolfed down his food, anxious to question Faye. Cora ate hers quickly, too, then they cleared the table and headed to the door.
Silence stretched between them as they drove down the street to Faye’s. Cora frowned when he pulled into the drive. “I don’t see Faye’s car.”
“Maybe they went on an early outing,” he said, although a bad feeling slithered through him.
Cora opened the door and rushed out, and he followed, the two of them hurrying to the front door. He rang the bell while Cora looked through the front window.
“I don’t see anyone,” she said, a shrill note to her voice.
Jacob twisted the doorknob and the door squeaked open. He motioned for Cora to stay behind him, and he eased inside. The furniture was in place, but he didn’t see any toys or personal items in the kitchen or living room.
Cora’s breathing rattled out and she raced to the first bedroom. The house seemed deserted. Cora jerked open the dresser drawers and closet and turned to him with a panicked look.
“They’re gone, Jacob.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cora’s heart sank. Where had Faye gone? And why had she left so quickly?
Fear for Faye and Nina struck Cora. “I wonder if her ex found her.”
“Cora, there’s no record that Faye was ever married.”
Cora’s pulse jumped. “What?”
Jacob turned her to face him. “I think she lied to you about everything. There was no abusive husband. There was no record of an adoption.”
Cora’s mind raced, the truth dawning on her with a wave of nausea. “No marriage or abusive husband or adoption records because...she hadn’t legally obtained Nina?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “That’s the logical conclusion.”
The memory of Nina tearing her muffin like Cora did taunted her. Her drawings. The peanut allergy. Cora had sensed something familiar about the child.
But Faye had sounded so convincing about her abusive ex. Cora had started to think of her as a friend. Anger and hurt mingled with shock. “I felt sorry for her,” she said. “I promised to keep her secret and be her friend. But she...lied to me and...you think she took my baby? That Nina is Alice?”
“We can’t be certain,” Jacob said. “Even if she did obtain her daugh
ter illegally, it doesn’t mean Nina is Alice.”
Cora had been disappointed so many times that she dared not count on anything.
“What next?”
“I’m going to grab my kit from my SUV and see if I can lift some prints and collect DNA from the house. Then I’ll send it to the lab, see if we can find out exactly who Faye is, and what she’s running from.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “Meanwhile I’ll call Liam to start a search for Faye.”
“How can I help?”
“What kind of vehicle did Faye drive?”
“A gray minivan.”
“Did you happen to notice the license plate?”
Cora shook her head. “I never even thought about it.”
“Don’t sweat it. Our tech team will find it. She can’t have gone too far.”
“But where is she going?” Cora said, her voice cracking.
“I don’t know. Maybe she left something somewhere inside the house that will give us a hint.” Jacob handed her a pair of gloves. “Put these on and look through the bathrooms and bedrooms. See if you can find a brush or toothbrush we can use for DNA analysis. Even a strand of the child’s hair or Faye’s can help.”
Cora yanked on the gloves while Jacob phoned his brother and then hurried outside for his kit. Cora walked through the kitchen first in search of a used spoon or fork that might hold DNA, but the dishes in the dishwasher were clean. She checked the drawers, but they held cooking utensils, pot holders, dishes and a few staples.
Faye had rented the place furnished, but it also appeared that she’d wiped the counters and table down before she left.
She walked down the hall to the main bathroom and glanced at the kitchen sink. Clean, as well. She opened the medicine drawer, but barring a pack of unopened Q-tips, it was empty. The drawers in the vanity had been emptied, too. The scent of pine cleaner indicated Faye had also scrubbed the bathroom before she left.
Jacob poked his head inside the room. “Find anything?”
She shook her head. “It looks like she cleaned before she left. I’ll look in Nina’s room.”