Her Other Secret

by Dimon, HelenKay

  When his mouth moved lower, her fingers speared through his hair. She held him, guiding his mouth where she wanted it to go. Between her legs. He ended up sprawled there and couldn’t think of anything he wanted more. Trailed a nibbling line of kisses along her soft thighs. Tormented her with soft touches, his thumb brushing back and forth over the very heat of her without slipping inside.

  Her fingers tightened in his hair. “Now, Hansen.”

  He couldn’t deny her. Braced between her thighs, his tongue rubbed over her. Back and forth. Circles. He treated her to the most intimate touch. Loved how she lifted her lower body, meeting him partway. He opened her with his fingers, diving in deeper, hitting that spot with his tongue that made her heels dig in to the mattress.

  When he slid a finger inside her, those tiny muscles clenched, pulling him in deeper. She moaned as her head thrashed on the bed. She grabbed him and brought his face closer to hers. One leg fell to the side while the other curled over his shoulder.

  She didn’t hide her pleasure, wouldn’t let him ignore her needs. If he pulled back, she pressed forward, keeping the solid connection. He caressed her with his mouth and hands. Traveled over her, learning every curve.

  “Now.” Her voice sounded rough and husky.

  He balanced on his elbows and started to shove his pants down when reality hit him with a cold smack. “Wait. Shit.”

  “What?” She lifted her head and stared down at him.

  “Condom.” Damn it. “I don’t . . . I haven’t slept with anyone on Whitaker. Didn’t think I would and then more recently I thought buying them at the store might end up as front-page news.”

  Her arms sprawled out to the side as she panted, clearly trying to regain her breathing. “That would have been a better way to make the paper.”

  “We can do other—”

  “Unzip the side pocket of my bag.”

  The edge to her tone had him glancing up. He took in the length of her body. Yeah, he could think of all sorts of things to do with her tonight. Then her order hit him. “What?”

  She waved her hand in the air. “On the floor.”

  Hating to leave her but really hating the idea of not being inside her, he shuffled to the side of the bed and lay on his stomach. The stretch let him grab the handle of the gym bag and pull it in closer. His brain and muscles fought each other but he managed to shove his fingers into the pocket and pull out the package.

  The woman brought condoms.

  So fucking sexy.

  He ripped the box to get to what they needed. “Impressive.”

  “Sylvia gave them to me.”

  He laughed as he opened the wrapper. His pants were in the way, so he shoved them down on his hips and rolled the condom on. A few kicks later he was as naked as she was. “Sylvia might be my favorite person on Whitaker right now.”

  “She’s first?” Tessa asked in a playful tone.

  “Well, second favorite.”

  “Better.” She opened her arms.

  He didn’t wait. He slid over her, rubbing their bodies together. Loving the friction and the way they fit together. He wanted to be smooth, draw this out, but his control was shot. The ladder, her stripping off his shirt . . . The combination did him in. He was hard and ready and fighting the instinct to plunge inside her.

  “Yes?”

  She ran her hands over her breasts in what might have been the sexiest come-get-me gesture ever. “Do I look like I’m not with you on this?”

  “I need to be sure.” Because once he was inside her he doubted he would want to leave.

  Her thighs dropped open. “Now, Hansen.”

  He didn’t need another invitation. He slipped into the space she’d made and lifted her legs until they pressed against her stomach. This is what he needed. Her open and clawing at him. The way she raked her fingernails down his arms before grabbing his wrists and tugging him closer.

  She chanted his name. The pleading was right there in her voice.

  He rubbed his hand up and down his length. When heat sparked in her eyes, he did it a second time. Then he pressed his tip against her, teasing and waiting as she squirmed beneath him.

  The first plunge had him trembling. He fought back the churning inside him. Forced his tense muscles to hold on as the voice in his head screamed for more. A pullout, then another plunge. Slow at first. Calculated to steal their breath. Then his control snapped. The steady pumping sped up. Adrenaline swamped him as she tugged at his hair to bring him down for another soul-shattering kiss.

  He got lost in the feel of her mouth and slip of her tongue until she lifted her hips off the bed. “Faster.”

  He pumped in and out. The tension whirled inside him. His legs shook with the need to end this. But he had to touch her one more time. He reached between them, and his fingertip brushed over her where his body moved inside her. The combination had her gasping. Her body shook and those delicious thighs flexed.

  Her head tilted back and a rough sound echoed in her throat. He wanted to watch her lose it but the short tether he held on the last of his control snapped. Lost now, he moved inside her. Felt her orgasm sweep through her and let it touch off his own.

  They panted and moaned. His head filled with strings of words, none of which made sense, but he didn’t hold them back. His focus centered on her need, her satisfaction, and the orgasm pounded him into submission.

  WHEN HANSEN OPENED his eyes again, some time had passed. He lay sprawled over her with his head on her stomach. Her fingers flipped through his hair, raking through it in a gesture so soothing he almost drifted off to sleep.

  He knew he should check on her, mention food. Be chivalrous and not a dick.

  The wind still howled outside, and the rain pelted the window, but he hadn’t heard any of that for probably hours. Now, resting there, loving the feel of her body under his, the sounds of the outside came rushing back. So did the mess he was in.

  “Tessa, we should—” The buzzing sound stopped him. It took him a second to place it, then he remembered sliding his cell into his pocket when he came out of the bathroom.

  He scanned the area for his pants. Before he could ask, her voice, all tired and mumbling, reached him. “Floor at the end of the bed.”

  Without looking at her, because he knew the need to check that call would be forgotten if he did, he slid down the mattress and reached over the side. The name and number . . . Yeah, this spelled trouble.

  “It’s Ben.” Hansen put the phone on speaker so they both could hear. “What’s going on?”

  “Kerrie’s awake. Get here now.”

  Chapter 14

  The walk from the parking lot into the medical clinic took two years, or it sure felt that way. Tessa battled the rain and wind, gathering the hood of her raincoat tight around her head and ducking to keep from getting a direct hit of water in the face. With each step she cursed her choice of jeans. They stuck to her legs and weighed her down. Keeping up with Hansen’s long-legged stride was tough enough without being at a speed disadvantage.

  He didn’t seem to notice the weather. He zipped up a thin running jacket and threw on a baseball cap. Tucked his glasses in his pocket.

  He wrapped an arm around her and guided her through a rush of water that threatened to turn into a river if the storm didn’t move on soon. The closeness, so different from the last few hours spent wrapped around each other, didn’t slow the fine tremor running through her.

  The dark of the early morning closed around her just as he opened the door of the clinic and ushered her inside. The smell hit her first. A mix of disinfectant and staleness. The noises—talking, the beeping of a nearby machine of some sort, shoes squeaking against the linoleum floor—bombarded her. Bright lights bounced off every white surface.

  People bustled around. Two nurses, only one she recognized, and the fisherman who also played the role of volunteer on the ambulance crew talked in a corner on the side. In the middle of it all, Captain Rogers spoke on the phone. He waved hello
as they passed him and headed for Ben, who stood at the end of the hall, gesturing for them to join him.

  Hansen didn’t say a word as he slipped his glasses on. He ignored the controlled chaos around him. If people staring or the constant pulsing of noise and activity bothered him, he didn’t show it.

  “How is she?” Tessa asked as soon as they reached Ben’s side.

  “Awake and doing well. Cuts and bruises mostly.”

  On the outside. Ben didn’t say the words, but Tessa heard them. Ben picked an odd time to keep his responses short, but it had been a tough few days, so Tessa cut him some slack. “What is she saying?”

  “Nothing.”

  Hansen frowned. “What?”

  “She refused to talk until she saw you.” Ben’s expression stayed unreadable. “She provided her name, got teary, and asked specifically for you.”

  “So, her being here is not a coincidence,” Tessa said.

  Ben shook his head. “Clearly not.”

  Hansen’s frown only deepened. “There’s a protective order.”

  Yeah, no way. Tessa didn’t trust anyone on Whitaker right now except Sylvia and the two men in front of her. “She could set him up.”

  The blank expression faded as Ben held up both hands. Tessa could see the emotions whirling through him now. The clash of friend and professional. The mix of wariness and concern as he looked at Hansen. The carefully banked frustration he excelled at keeping under control.

  “We’ll all go in. In case anything goes sideways, I’m the witness that she asked to see him. I’ll take responsibility,” Ben said, his voice understanding but firm as he eyed them. Then he pushed open the door to the private room. “Ms. Ross?”

  The other woman looked so small. So lost. With hunched shoulders and her hands curled into the blanket beneath her, she sat on the bed with her legs dangling over the side. She wore hospital scrubs that dwarfed her.

  At the sound of her name, her head shot up. Her eyes went from unfocused to wide and shocked, then tears spilled over her cheeks.

  She hopped off the bed and headed for Hansen. Her arms wrapped around his waist and she buried her face in his chest. “Hansen. Oh, thank God.”

  Hansen didn’t touch her. He stood there with his hands in the air as if he had no idea what to do. “I . . . uh . . .”

  The sight froze Tessa. She stood there, watching this woman crumble with relief. Kerrie didn’t sound scared of Hansen. Even now, she gathered his wet jacket in her fist as she held on to his back. Held on to him in a death grip as if he were her rescuer, not the one she claimed to fear.

  Tessa had no idea what was happening. She’d read about abuse and the cycle of violence. She didn’t know if this scene fit that or if this was something more sinister. From the way Hansen stood there, unmoving and stunned, he didn’t get it either.

  After a few minutes, Hansen gave Kerrie an awkward pat on the arm and gently pried her hands away from his back. The move put some distance between them and let him look at her. “Why are you on Whitaker?”

  “He’s here.” She wiped at her tears as they fell. “He found out where you were and insisted we come here. Said he was hunting.”

  Ben shut the door behind them, giving them all a bit more privacy. “Wait a second.”

  “I don’t understand any of this.” Hansen looked to Tessa, then to Ben. He seemed unsure of his next move.

  Tessa couldn’t blame him. The weeping woman in front of him had filed for a protective order against him not that long ago. Now her voice shook in terror, but not about Hansen.

  “Ms. Ross, I have some—”

  She shook her head at Ben. “Kerrie.”

  Ben hesitated. “Okay, Kerrie. About your husband.”

  The harsh reality of what Ben had to say punched Tessa in the stomach. This poor woman didn’t know about her husband’s death. Asshole or not, she must love him to be married to him. At least on some level. She was babbling and panicked, and it sounded as if her life had been turned upside down. Ben’s news would flip it again.

  “Did you stop him?” She grabbed on to Hansen’s forearms, her voice pleading. “Did he hurt you?” She glanced at Tessa. “Or you?”

  Ben took over. “Ma’am, I think you should sit down.”

  He pulled Kerrie away from Hansen, careful not to hurt her, and set her back down on the edge of the bed. After looking around, he grabbed some tissues and handed them to her. She wiped at her shirt, now wet from hugging Hansen, and dabbed at her big blue eyes, one of which was still swollen.

  Kerrie’s gaze darted from person to person. She rubbed her hands together on her lap until her pale skin turned red. Despite the strange sense that something didn’t fit, Tessa’s heart ached for her.

  “I need to get out of here.” Kerrie shook her head as she looked first at the floor, then to Hansen. “You were right. I only filed for the order because he made me. All those threats about me ending up like your sister if I didn’t obey.”

  Relief washed over Tessa. She sensed that might be the case but to have it confirmed meant everything. This information might free Hansen. Give him a chance to move forward. “He admitted his claims against Hansen were fabricated?”

  Kerrie nodded before glancing at Ben. “Please tell me you have him in custody.”

  “I’m sorry . . .” Ben struggled as a range of emotions raced across his face. He even glanced over his shoulder at the door. Voices floated inside the room from the hallway, but no one came inside. It took another few seconds before Ben looked at Kerrie again. “Your husband has been killed.”

  The last of the color ran out of her face. All life, all expression vanished, and she seemed to list to one side. “What?”

  “He was attacked.” Ben shook his head. “We don’t know why or by whom.”

  “Here.” Tessa sat down next to the other woman, not knowing what to say or what could possibly help her right now.

  Kerrie visibly swallowed. “Hansen, you didn’t . . .”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “He didn’t.” Tessa needed her to know that.

  “Did he touch you?” Kerrie asked Tessa.

  The question slammed into Tessa like an icy cold hand. “Hansen?”

  “My husband.” Kerrie grabbed for Tessa’s fingers and held on. “He was furious that Hansen started over. Talked about him dating and having a life.”

  “Dating?” The word just sat there. Tessa wasn’t quite sure what to do with it or how information like that could have wound its way to Judson thousands of miles away.

  Hansen cleared his throat. “Kerrie, who tied you up?”

  “Judson.” Her grip tightened on Tessa’s hand. “We fought about his plans for you. I refused to help and he . . .”

  “Help him what?” Ben asked.

  “He wanted to set up Hansen. Make it look like he lured us here by pretending to be someone else, then lie . . . again.”

  Hansen blew out a long breath. “He wanted me in jail this time.”

  “For hurting me. That’s why I was tied up.” She continued to cry, quietly sobbing as she told the story. “Once he hit me, he realized he could say you did it. He went to the island to talk with the police. He had this whole scheme, complete with fake emails and documents, saying you lured us here by pretending the trip on the yacht was a gift from one of his big money clients.”

  “You picked up the yacht in Seattle?” Tessa had so many questions that they tripped over each other in her head. That was the only one she could get out in a reasonably coherent way.

  “Yes. We have a much smaller speedboat at home. Judson took a coast guard course and the required safety courses. He went out with a guide for a refresher when we picked up the yacht. We’ve been in and around the area for more than a week and . . .” When Kerrie’s gaze landed on Hansen again, she stopped talking.

  He didn’t look even a bit surprised. “He’s been spying on me?”

  “Collecting information, yeah.” She wiped at the last of her
tears. “He wanted to come here, cause a scene, get people’s attention, and then . . . ruin you.”

  Hansen nodded. “Sounds like him.”

  “He was convinced the police would have no choice but to throw you in jail for violating the protective order if he said you tricked us into coming here and then attacked us.”

  “Definitely,” Ben said.

  “After that, with Hansen in jail and the police investigating, Judson thought he’d have time to get to your house and find something of yours, like a shirt or glass, to plant in this cabin he has set up on Howard Island to make it look like you were using that to launch your plan against us.”

  This was no joke. Tessa tried to imagine what could have happened if Judson had gotten to Ben before the whole scheme blew up or if Kerrie had gone along with the plan. “He should have put that much effort into his actual job and stayed at home.”

  “I agree.” Kerrie’s gaze skipped around the room. “But what happened to him once he was on the island? I don’t understand.”

  “We’re not sure but he never came to my office.” Ben didn’t provide any details or mention that Judson likely died before he could hatch his elaborate plan to take down Hansen.

  Tessa thought waiting to deliver the entire story was the right call. Kerrie had been through so much and Tessa assumed she’d only told them a fraction of the horrors. The dazed expression and the haunted sound to her voice suggested Kerrie needed time and rest. Even then, Ben would need to be careful about what he asked so as not to trigger more despair.

  “Where did he go?” Kerrie seemed determined to clarify that point. Whatever fear she once had or didn’t have for Hansen didn’t matter now. She looked to him before every answer, acted like she wanted to reach out to him. They had some bond that she was desperate to hold on to.

  “That’s what we’re trying to find out.” Ben nodded. “Tell me when you last saw your husband.”