Frank reached down and clasped Martha’s hand, silently lending his support. She tightened her fingers around his the closer they got to what had to be an interrogation room.
Martha hesitated. When he noticed her reaction, Burke grimaced. “Sorry about this, but they don’t have a free conference room and the detectives’ office isn’t large enough to comfortably hold everyone.
“It’s fine,” she told him. Frank watched as she squared her shoulders, tilted her chin upward and strode into the room. She dropped his hand just before she entered. He didn’t like it but he understood why she did. Martha had always been independent.
“Ms. Benson, this is Detectives Raymond and Detective Kurtz.” Both men stood when they entered. Detective Raymond was an older man in his early fifties with a slight paunch. Kurtz was younger by about fifteen years and was trim and fit.
“Thank you for coming in, Ms. Benson.” Kurtz held his hand out and she shook it.
The detective glanced at him, so Frank held out his hand. “Frank Ellis.”
“The firefighter.” Detective Raymond’s eyes narrowed and Frank knew if he hadn’t been cleared by being at the firehouse during the time the fire had started, he’d be a suspect. The fact that he’d inserted himself into the investigation and Martha’s life would put him at the top of the list. It was a fact that many arsonists liked to watch their fires and were often at the scene. Sometimes they even tried to be a part of the investigation by posing as a witness.
Detective Raymond motioned them all to take a seat. Frank took the one next to Martha. Burke sat on her other side. Frank noted that his partner was nowhere to be found. The two cops sat across from them.
“Ms. Benson,” Kurtz began, but Martha waved her hand to stop him.
“Please call me Martha.”
The detective smiled. “Martha. Tell us about the day of the fire.”
Frank sat back and listened while she retold her story. Both detectives asked questions and wrote notes. They made her go over things again and again. He knew it was their job to make sure they got as many details from her as they could, but he didn’t have to like it. They stopped once for a short break so Martha could get something cool to drink and rest her throat for a while. Periodically, they’d ask him to clarify something she’d told them.
He’d already given his statement to Burke. While Martha had been sleeping during her night in the hospital, Devlin had sat with her long enough for his partner to interview Frank.
“What about you?” Detective Raymond asked when he was finally done questioning Martha.
“What about me?” Frank countered.
“You just found her?” He could hear the skepticism and Frank sat up straighter and glared at the man.
“Yes, I found her. It’s what I do.” He decided to confront this head-on. “As much as you’d like me to be involved, I’m not. I was working when the fire started.”
“You could have an accomplice,” Raymond pointed out.
“That’s ridiculous.” Martha pushed to her feet and slammed her hands down onto the top of the table.
“Is it?” Raymond switched tactics, giving Martha a kindly smile. “What better way to get back into your life than to save you from a fire. He’s a hero, isn’t he?”
Frank was surprised that smoke wasn’t rising from the back of his collar. He didn’t think he’d ever been so angry in all his life.
“That’s enough.” Burke tapped the files on the table. “This fire is too similar to these others to discount.” He turned to Frank. “Same method, same pattern. In each case, a woman was working from home and the fire was set in the middle of the day when most other folks were at work. Less chance of the perp being seen and it makes the woman the intended victim. Burn patterns indicate heavy usage of the same accelerant around each apartment with enough thrown in at other points to hamper rescue.”
Hearing it said aloud in such stark terms made Frank’s gut churn. Someone had targeted Martha.
“Where are you staying?” Kurtz asked Martha.
“I’m not sure you need to know that,” Frank answered before she could.
Detective Raymond’s eyes narrowed.
“Are we done?” Martha asked.
“For now,” Raymond told her. “We’ll be in touch if we have more questions.”
She stood and went to the door. Frank jumped out of his chair and reached it before she did. He opened the thick panel. Cops and other people hurried up and down the hallway.
“Where are you staying?” Kurtz asked again.
Martha glanced at Frank and the detective groaned. “You’re staying with Ellis? Are you sure that’s wise?”
“It’s the way it’s staying,” Frank told him. He stepped out into the busy corridor and almost ran into a deliveryman. The guy never even noticed him. He simply kept on going, focused on wherever he was headed. Frank could relate. He wanted to get himself and Martha out of here.
He took her hand again and forged a path through the throng of people. It was a hell of a lot busier than it had been when they’d arrived. Burke followed them all the way outside.
“Don’t worry about Detective Raymond,” Burke told him. “Both Devlin and I don’t consider you a suspect.”
“Good to know.” Frank’s dry tone made Burke chuckle.
“Stay safe.” The investigator was all business when he addressed Martha. “Whoever set the fire it still out there and we’re not sure how he or she will react to things not panning out the way they wanted.”
“You mean because I didn’t die?” Martha whispered.
Burke nodded. “I don’t want to scare you, but I do want you to stay vigilant.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “I’ll call if I get any news.” He walked away, leaving Frank and Martha alone.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad.” The deadpan way Martha said it made Frank smile.
“Could have been worse,” he told her. And it could have been. If his alibi hadn’t been rock solid, they could be holding him for questioning, leaving Martha unprotected.
“I suppose.” She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. He threw his arm over her shoulders and pulled her into the curve of his body.
“Cold?”
“Scared,” she admitted. She looked up at him and he could see the fear in her eyes. “Why would someone want to kill me?”
• • •
That was the big question and one she pondered as Frank drove them back to his place. “It doesn’t make any sense.” She swiveled her head so she could watch Frank. He looked so big and competent behind the wheel.
“I know it doesn’t, honey. But you have to understand an arsonist sees things in his own way. You might have smiled at him in a grocery store or you might have ignored him. Or you might have done nothing more than walk by him on the street. Who’s to say what it was that attracted his attention.”
“You think it’s a man?”
Frank nodded and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel when they stopped for a red light. “Considering all the intended victims were women, I do.”
“Me too.”
“For whatever reason, the man feels compelled to start fires. You can’t understand a mind like that.”
She knew Frank was right but she couldn’t stop thinking and worrying. “I might have talked to him or passed him on the street.” It made her feel incredibly vulnerable. Some complete stranger wanted her dead. She couldn’t protect herself if she didn’t know who it was.
Frank turned the truck into his driveway, put the vehicle in Park, and turned off the ignition. They sat there in silence. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Martha knew he’d do his best but sometimes things just happened. “You can’t promise that and I don’t want you to.” He scowled at her and it made him appear even more dangerous than he usually did. “I know you’ll do your best to protect me, but if something goes wrong I don’t want you blaming yourself. Just like I can’t feel guilty for attracting
a maniac, you’re not responsible if something goes wrong.”
She opened the truck door and slid out of the big machine. Frank was beside her before she took a step away from the vehicle. He glanced around. It was quiet on the street except for a late-model car and a delivery truck coming up the road, both of which kept on going. There were no neighbors out and about. Martha figured most of them were at work, their kids at summer camps or day care. If anyone was about, they were inside or out in their backyards. As she had that thought, she heard a lawnmower start up a few doors down.
They went inside and she immediately felt cooler after standing in the heat of the sun. “Want some lunch?” he asked.
Martha checked her watch and noted that the morning had disappeared while they’d been talking to the detectives. Which brought her back to what she and Frank had been discussing over breakfast. “I think we should finish our earlier discussion.”
Frank stilled, every muscle in his body tensing as he turned toward her. His lips thinned and his brows lowered. No, he didn’t want to talk about this. Well, tough. She needed to know what happened. Maybe then she could move on with her life.
“What else did you find out the night you discovered you were adopted?”
His head dropped forward and his chest rose and fell as he took several deep breaths. Fear began to creep into her veins. “Frank?”
He shook his head and then slowly raised it. “Martha.” He swallowed hard.
Whatever it was that had happened, it still had the power to hurt him. She went to Frank and placed her hands on his chest. “Whatever it is, it’s okay.”
He laughed but there was no humor in the sound. She was beginning to get really scared. His heart was beating fast, the heavy pulse thudding against her palms.
“You have no idea.”
“Then tell me.” She had to know. Deserved to know. “Whatever happened that night didn’t only change your life, it shattered mine too.”
“I’m so sorry, Martha.” Frank lowered his head and kissed her. All her pent-up frustration, anger and hurt morphed into another equally potent emotion—lust. After all these years, several serious boyfriends and a failed marriage, Martha wanted Frank like she’d never wanted another man.
She kissed him back, pouring all her years of loneliness and frustration into it. He teased her lips with his tongue and she opened for him. Never one to waste an opportunity, Frank slid his tongue into her mouth. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. She thought she’d been hot moments before. Now she was practically on fire with need.
His big hands slid down her shoulders and back. He cupped her ass and lifted her so her pelvis was flush against his. He was thick and hard, and very aroused. Her body answered his, softening and growing damper by the second.
Frank broke the kiss and buried his face against the curve of her neck. “God Almighty. If you’re going to say no, say it now.”
There were a dozen reasons why this wasn’t a good idea but, honestly, she couldn’t think of a single one at the moment. For too many years she’d missed this man. “I want you.”
He didn’t speak as he carried her through the house and into his bedroom. The air was charged with expectation. Martha combed her fingers through his hair, loving the silky feel of it. The rest of him was so hard, so masculine. His hair and his lips were the softest parts of him.
They tumbled onto the bed and Frank rolled so he was on top of her. He held the bulk of his weight on his forearms so he didn’t crush her. Their bodies were perfectly aligned. She could feel the heat of his cock through their layers of clothing, and she arched upward, rubbing her mound against his erection.
Frank groaned and dropped his forehead until it was touching hers. “I’m trying to go slow.”
Martha tugged his T-shirt from his jeans and pushed her hands beneath it. His skin was hot and firm. “Later. Go slow later.”
“Fuck,” he swore just before he kissed her. And what a kiss it was. Hot and all-consuming, he cupped her jaw in his hand to hold her steady and drove his tongue deep, tasting every crevice of her mouth.
Martha couldn’t breathe but didn’t care. The way he kissed her spoke of a need long denied. She understood it all too well.
She tugged at his T-shirt. He reared back and yanked the garment over his head, leaving a broad expanse of slick muscle bare. She practically purred as she ran her hands over the ridges of his abs. Then she went lower and cupped the heavy bulge in the front of his jeans.
“Martha.”
“Go slower later,” she reminded him.
He actually growled as he yanked at her dress. She thought she heard the material rip as he dragged it off her. She wasn’t wearing a bra under it. Frank stopped and stared at her naked breasts. He licked his lips and his lustful stare made her cream her panties.
She was still wearing her underwear but she might as well have been naked. And then she was. Frank hooked his fingers under the edge of the band and peeled them down her legs. She’d lost her shoes somewhere along the way.
Maybe she should have felt self-conscious. After all, she was a lot older now and no longer had the body of an eighteen-year-old. But this was Frank, the man she’d given her virginity to so many years ago, the man who’d haunted her dreams for her entire adult life.
“You are so lovely.” He skimmed his fingers down her stomach and the muscles clenched beneath his touch. “And still ticklish.” He teased her waist, making her laugh.
“Now you.” She pointed to his jeans.
Frank yanked off his sneakers and tossed them aside. He shucked his jeans and underwear at the same time and then pulled off his socks. Naked, he knelt between her legs, wrapped his hands around her thighs and pushed them open.
He licked his lips. “I have to taste you.” Then he lowered his mouth to her damp core.
• • •
Frank thought his head might explode when he got a whiff of her arousal. Sweet, she was so damn sweet. Her body was lusher than it had been when they were both teenagers, more rounded and womanly. Gone were the coltish lines and slim limbs. She was still slender but now she had curves.
Sweat broke out on his forehead. Martha was here in his bed. It was a miracle. He’d dreamed of this moment over the years but had never expected it to become reality.
Her pussy was pink and damp. He licked at the slick folds, letting his tongue explore every curve and dip, every crevice and slope. She moaned and arched into his touch. She’d always been open and giving.
It angered him to think of another man tasting her this way, another man being given such a gift. But he had no right to his anger. He’d walked away from her.
Her fingernails dug into his scalp as she tugged him closer. The sensual bite had his balls clenching. He wanted her too much and it had been so damn long. Yes, he’d had sex many times since he’d left her, but Martha was the only woman who’d ever satisfied him beyond simply slaking a physical need. Martha filled his heart.
He lapped at her core and then teased her with his fingers. She called out his name as he inserted one thick finger into her tight channel. They were both breathing heavily now. The sun was beating in through the bedroom window, bathing them both in light.
She was so beautiful. The word was inadequate to describe how he saw her, but it was all he had. He withdrew and added a second finger when he pushed into her this time. Heat crawled up his back, a warning sign. He clamped down on his control. He would not be denied this moment.
Martha rolled her hips, tugged on his hair and cried out his name. Her inner muscles clamped down on his fingers and he knew she was close. He wanted to be inside her when she came.
He pushed her harder, wanting her on the very edge. She gasped and moaned and swore at him. Her entire body tightened. He knew the warning signs well and pulled away before she found release. She cried out at the loss and tried to pull him back.
Then Frank gripped her hips and pressed the damp head of his cock to her opening. She stilled a
nd their eyes met. He pushed past the initial resistance of her body and slid into her hot welcoming depths.
He swore stars exploded behind his eyes and the tension he normally carried with him seemed to evaporate. He was home. The moment almost overwhelmed him.
Her pussy rippled around his cock, a reminder of how close they both were. He braced his hands by her shoulders and began to flex his hips, sliding in and out. Each time he retreated was agony and each time he plunged forward was pure bliss.
He pumped harder and faster. Martha dug her fingers into his hips and met him thrust for thrust. She wrapped her legs around his flanks and her arms around his neck.
“Come for me,” he ordered. He couldn’t come until she did. No way was that happening.
He leaned down and nipped at the curve of her neck. That had always been a particularly erogenous zone for her. Sure enough, her pussy clamped around his cock and she cried out.
He tried to hold back but couldn’t any longer. His orgasm started at the base of his shaft and exploded up through the top. He groaned as her sheath rippled around him, milking every last drop of pleasure from him.
When he was spent, he collapsed on top of her. Martha moaned and he managed to shift the bulk of his upper body off her so he didn’t crush her, but they were still joined. He didn’t want to leave her. Not yet.
They both lay sprawled on the bed, exhausted and panting as though they’d run for miles. Frank was sweating from the heat and exertion. Martha’s skin was slick too. He cupped one of her breasts. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t even kissed them. Thankfully, she was the kind of woman who liked sex fast and hot just as much as she enjoyed slow and sensual.
“Are we still alive?” Her voice was slightly slurred.
He raised himself up and they both moaned when his cock shifted inside her. “I think so.” His own voice was rough and deep.
He kissed her, savoring the way her lips parted for him. He dragged his tongue over her bottom lip.
“Frank?” Now that the immediacy of the moment had passed, he knew she’d be thinking about their earlier conversation again.
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