A Matter of Time 03 - 04 (Volume 2) (MM)

by Mary Calmes

  I rolled my eyes. Talking to the walls would be more interactive. I got up and crossed the room to Dane, who raised a finger when I started to say something to him. I needed to give him a minute. I padded into the kitchen and started to make some tea.

  Now that no one was talking to me, I started thinking about what had happened. I had been gone four days, Caleb six, and because we had both gotten away, no ransom had been paid. Apparently, the night the car was stolen the kidnapper had been taking us to the drop-off site, where we would have been exchanged for the money. The kidnapper had taken Caleb with him at gunpoint to walk to the pay phone, and when he got back, the car was gone. He ran off after that, leaving Caleb alone to walk the streets looking for help in Oak Lawn. I had told Hefron and Lange that I was sure there had been a second guy at some point, but that after hearing them argue about Sam, I was fairly certain one of them had been shot. Whoever the dead one was, he had wanted to let me go rather than tangle with Detective Kage.

  Hefron and Lange did not blame him. Sam's reputation was decidedly brutal. He was an excellent detective with a menacing demeanor. Everyone had agreed on that point.

  I put the kettle on to boil and walked into the other room, even though I heard a knock on the front door. Let someone else get it. I took a seat on my bed, and that was where Dane found me minutes later.

  "Hey."

  When I looked at the doorway, he tossed something at me.

  I caught it, realized it was an iPhone, and looked back at him.

  "I got the same one you had and I went ahead and cancelled both your credit cards and ordered new ones. The only thing you need to do is go get another driver's license."

  "Thanks."

  "You're welcome," he nodded, walking into my bedroom and sitting down beside me. "So Sam said you agreed to marry him... that's good. I look forward to being his brother-in-law."

  "I'm glad."

  "You don't look that happy."

  "No, I'm happy about that. I just... I want this whole thing to be over already."

  "I'm so sorry, J. If it wasn't for me, you—"

  "Please," I groaned, lying back on the bed. "You have no control over the scary people in the world—believe me, I know. Some psychopath has got it out for you for whatever reason... that's his problem, Dane, not yours. You'd hafta be crazy to think that you have any control of anything but yourself."

  "That's very good advice."

  "That's not advice, it's just... logical." I said, fiddling with the new cell phone in my hand. "Thanks for this."

  "You're welcome," he said, putting his hand around the back of my neck.

  "Did you like Aubrey Flanagan?"

  "I did, and more important than me liking her—Rick likes her."

  "I know, right? It's nice."

  "It is," he said, his fingers massaging my neck, the base of my skull.

  I closed my eyes and breathed.

  "Oh, this is interesting," he said quietly. "Sam found that doctor you used to date. Remember?"

  "Nick Sullivan."

  "Yes."

  "And? What about him?"

  "He's married now."

  "Oh yeah? To who?"

  "Sam says to a very beautiful woman named Jenna."

  I smiled slowly. "He's married to a woman? That is interesting."

  "I told you."

  "I wonder what made him do that."

  "You know, Sam came out late. Maybe the reverse is true of Nick Sullivan."

  "Maybe," I said thoughtfully, wondering.

  "He lives in Lake Forest with his wife and two kids. Sam said he asked about you."

  "That's not surprising. We were close once."

  "That's weird, isn't it?"

  "What's that?"

  "Being close and then not."

  I turned my head to look at him. "I don't emotionally connect with many people. I've slept with a ton of guys, but I can count like two before Sam that I ever even gave a crap about, and Nick Sullivan wasn't one of them."

  "Oh no?"

  "No."

  "I remember a Kevin that came to the office a couple of times."

  "Yep." I smiled at him. "Kevin Wu, I liked him a lot."

  "And Aaron Sutter, of course."

  "Of course."

  "So nothing for Nick Sullivan."

  "Friendship isn't nothing."

  "It's not love."

  "No. Did you love all those women you slept with?"

  "Not one." He eyed me.

  "Except the one you married." I smiled at him.

  "That's right."

  "Do you believe there's only one soul mate for each person?"

  "Yes, I do," he said gently, leaning me against him, arm around my shoulders. "And so do you. You're a hopeless romantic."

  It was true. "You should go to the hospital and see Caleb."

  "I'm where I need to be. I'm with my brother and my wife."

  "Caleb's your brother too."

  But he wasn't listening anymore. He got up to get the kettle when it whistled and I was left on the bed, staring out at the sky. It was snowing steadily and the white flakes were building up on my windowpanes. Days like this, I was always thankful to not be homeless. I was thankful to be warm and safe and inside.

  "J."

  I looked up at Sam as he walked into the bedroom.

  "Baby, the Reids wanna come over and see you, if that'd be okay."

  "Why don't I go to the hospital tomorrow and see Caleb, and I'll see them at the same time?"

  "You tired?"

  I nodded and went back to looking out the window. When Dane brought me a cup of tea I thanked him and put it on my nightstand before I stretched out on my bed. I didn't remember falling asleep.

  * * * *

  It was dark when I woke up, and when I called for Sam there was no answer. The kitchen light was on and that was where I found a note from him; he had just run out to pick up dinner. He would be right back. Since he always wrote down the time on his notes, after I checked the display on the microwave I realized he'd been gone maybe ten minutes. It explained the fire blazing away in the living room. There was a weird ring, and I realized that it was my new phone. I would need to put all my downloads from my computer into it as soon as possible. A generic ringtone was just not me.

  "Hello?"

  "Jory?"

  "Yeah. Who's this?"

  "You're so lucky, Jory. How many lives do you have?"

  "I'm sorry, who is this?"

  "Jory, if it wasn't for you, I'd have what I want."

  I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck and a chill raced through my body.

  "Jo... ry," came the singsong voice. "I'm going to kiss you when you're cold."

  I hung up and threw the phone on the couch and stared at it. When Sam walked into the apartment minutes later carrying a large brown bag, I was sitting next to the fireplace, my knees pulled up to my chest, my arms wrapped around my legs.

  "Hey." He smiled at me. "You're up. Are you hungry,

  'cause I went and got your... J? You all right?"

  I shook my head, pointed at my phone. "He called."

  "Who called?"

  "The guy... the guy called."

  "The kidnapper called?" he asked calmly as he walked to the couch and picked up my phone.

  I nodded.

  "What'd he say?" He asked as he dialed my phone.

  I stared at him a minute, waiting for him to freak out.

  "J?"

  "Um, he asked me how many lives I had and he told me that if it wasn't for me he'd have everything he wanted. He said he'd kiss me when I was cold."

  He nodded. "Is that it?"

  "Yeah." I shivered even though the heat from the fire was warm on my back.

  "Okay," he said very clinically as he started speaking into my phone. "I need a trace on this number right now—see who called it in the last five minutes and then have Hefron or Lange call me back on my phone. Yep—okay."

  I closed my eyes and put my face dow
n on my knees. The idea that the guy could just call me, that he knew my number... it was just so creepy. I heard Sam barking orders at people and fumbling around in the kitchen before he started yelling. For some reason his anger and volume was comforting, and when I heard him swearing I didn't scold him like usual. I just sat still and silent, listening to the crackling of the fire when the room finally fell silent.

  "Hey."

  I lifted my head to look up into his face.

  He pointed at the front door. "That's locked, I'm here, I have a gun, and you know besides that I'm a really strong guy."

  I had no idea where this was going.

  "So you know when I'm here, you're safe, right?"

  "I know."

  "Good," he said as he dropped to his knees in front of me.

  "So come here and kiss me."

  I unwrapped myself and reached for him as he pulled me to my knees in front of him, his hands all over me, tugging my T-shirt off over my head before he eased me down onto the rug in front of the fire. My sweats were next to go, and the briefs underneath. I lay there naked, staring up at him as his eyes swept over me.

  "Stay," he said before he got up and left me there, vulnerable and cold. And I wondered if it was a test to see if I'd move. Did I trust what he'd said? Did I trust that there was no reason for even a sliver of fear to touch me as long as he was there?

  I heard him and turned to look and he was back, wrapped up in one of the blankets off the bed.

  I smiled wide. "What're you doing?"

  "I'm here for you," he said softly as he crouched over me, opening the blanket to reveal both the lube from the nightstand and the fact that he was completely naked.

  "I see." I grinned lazily. "Something you want?"

  "Yes, baby... there's something I want."

  "Whatzat?"

  He leaned over and wrapped me in his arms, and the contact with his warm, sleek skin made me gasp. I wrapped my legs around his waist and moved around under him until I was where I wanted to be.

  "I'm thinkin' maybe there's somethin' you want too, J," he said softly, his hands on me, drawing me into his arms, his lips on my throat.

  I arched my back, lifting for him and begged him to just make everything else disappear. And he was magic, so it did.

  Chapter Five

  I was standing outside getting the mail, after being on the phone with Caleb Reid for half an hour, when I heard the roar of Sam's SUV behind me. Even though I was in nothing but jeans and a tank top, I waited for him. It was nice that, as soon as he saw me, the smile was huge. I watched him parallel park his monster vehicle, which I was always amazed that he could do, and saw him climb down out of the cab.

  "What are you doing out here?" he called over to me as he started across the lawn.

  "Just enjoying the view," I said, hearing the alarm chirp as he pocketed his keys.

  He gave me a look like I was crazy, gesturing around at the gray sky, barren trees, and slushy sidewalks. "What view, baby?"

  I pointed at him. Just looking at him made me happy. The swagger in his walk, the fluid way he moved, the confidence easy to spot, and the heat that just radiated off the man. I should have been embarrassed that I was standing there sighing like a lovesick schoolgirl, but I had no pride where the man was concerned.

  His wicked grin nearly stopped my heart.

  "Hi, baby," he said as he reached me, hand instantly on my bicep, rubbing gently. "Let's go inside. Before you freeze."

  I looked him up and down. He looked really good. "Jeans to work today?"

  "I'm undercover."

  "Oh." I nodded, unable to take my eyes off him.

  "Baby, you're not even wearing any shoes," he scowled, turning me around, gently shoving me toward the front door of the building.

  "I'll live, Sam," I chuckled, letting him move me through the door, grab my hand, and tug me toward the stairs. "I promise I won't freeze to death before your eyes."

  He leaned in close to me to kiss the side of my neck. His warm breath made me shiver. "See—you're cold, you shouldn't be out here in just—"

  "You're making me shiver, not the cold."

  He nodded as we started up the stairs. As we walked down the hall, my neighbors, Lisa and Steven, came out of their apartment. Odd that they were there in the middle of the day.

  Maybe it was a little afternoon delight.

  "Jory," Lisa called out to me, smiling big.

  "Hey." I smiled back at her, not making any move to stop.

  "Hi." Steven stopped Sam, putting out his hand when he was close enough. "I'm Steven Warren, this is Lisa Tate—we live across the hall."

  "Good to meet you," Sam said, taking his hand, shaking it.

  "I'm Sam Kage."

  "I've been seeing you around a lot, Sam." Lisa smiled at him. "Are you the man in Jory's life now?"

  "Yes, ma'am," he said huskily, and I saw her take breath.

  The man was very masculine and very hot; she'd have to be blind not to notice. "I'm the old... new guy."

  She chuckled. "Sounds like there's a story there."

  "Yep, there is." His wicked grin, and she lit up like a Christmas tree.

  "Well, I'm so pleased. Jory's a wonderful guy—he deserves to be happy."

  "Thank you," I said gently as Sam shoved me forward.

  "Nice to meet you," he said absently, kissing the side of my neck. "Hurry up."

  I didn't turn back around.

  Once we were inside the apartment, I locked the door behind us and watched him walk through the living room to the kitchen.

  "You didn't leave the house dressed like that this morning.

  I would've remembered."

  "You didn't see me this morning—you were dead to the world. I was hoping you'd sleep a lot longer."

  "You should change before you go back to work."

  "Why?" he asked me as he shed his peacoat to reveal an open short-sleeved shirt over a T-shirt that could have been mine for how tight it was. All you saw were bulging biceps and rippling abs, the material clinging to him like a second skin. The gun holster with the Glock in it just added to the whole presence of the man. He was dangerous and sexy and I felt the blood racing to my groin. I had trouble breathing.

  "Christ."

  He was pulling lunch out of the brown paper bag he'd carried in and wasn't paying any attention to me at all. It was all I could do not to cross the room and lunge at him.

  "Where were you working undercover at—an escort service?"

  "What are you talking about?" He glanced up at me as he laid everything out. "I got Italian—you're not eating real well so I thought some fettuccine, since it's your favorite and...

  what?"

  "What?"

  "I dunno—you're lookin' at me all weird."

  "Am I?"

  "Yeah. Are you all right? Do you need to lie down?"

  "I—"

  "Do you need me to hold you down?" he teased me, smiling wickedly, one eyebrow arched.

  "Sam—"

  "What, baby?"

  "Can you come here, please?"

  He moved fast, crossing the floor to me, and I liked that—

  loving that he was eager to be close to me. "What's the matter, J?"

  I didn't answer, instead leaned up and kissed him, capturing his bottom lip gently between my teeth.

  The soft growl from him made me smile. He was a very sensual creature, my detective, and I enjoyed that to no end.

  "I think you need me." I smiled up at him, my hand on his belt buckle.

  "Stop, you'll be sorry."

  "Never sorry. Ravaged before lunch hopefully, but never sorry."

  "J... you're tempting fate," he said, his hands moving to my hips, his fingers slowly slipping under the waistband of my jeans, around front to the fly.

  "God, I hope so."

  "You should be more careful." He tipped my chin up with his nose, leaning in to kiss my throat as he undid the buttons on my jeans.

  "Sam." I shivered.
>
  "Shouldn't have teased me... warned you not to," he growled in my ear before he let out a soft groan when he cupped my ass. "No underwear—definitely tempting fate."

  "I didn't want you to go to work today."

  "And I didn't want to go," he told me. "Look at me."

  When I lifted my head to look at his face, he bent and kissed me. He wasn't gentle, the kiss instead deep and claiming. I barely got out his name before I was dragged to the kitchen table, spun around, and bent over it, facedown.

  My jeans were yanked to my ankles, the tank top roughly pulled off.

  "Don't you move." It was a threat.

  I didn't want to move, and so stayed there, frozen, as he rifled through a drawer behind me.

  "Did you know I keep lube in the kitchen?" he asked cheerfully as I heard the pop-top open.

  I had to smile at him in the middle of our torrid sex scene.

  The man was just too cute.

  "What?"

  "You're just always prepared, Sam."

  "I'm trained to be that way," he said with mock seriousness.

  "I love you."

  "I love you too," he said before he bit the back of my neck.

  The moan that tore out of me went right through him, arousing him like I knew it would, his hands hard and demanding on my body. Sam loved all the noises I made, loved my submissiveness and how I craved him. I loved how rough he was with me, manhandling me, how he bit and licked and kissed me, my skin under his hands driving him wild with a need to mark it all as his.

  "Look at you," he breathed against my ear. "Head thrown back, trembling, all ready for me—you're so beautiful, J, and you're mine."

  "Please, Sam... please."

  I didn't have time to think before he moved, his slick hand around my cock, taking hold of me, his mouth on my shoulder, on his name, biting down gently, his chest pressed to my back. I cried out when he thrust forward, sliding all the way into me.

  "Jory," he groaned and it came from his gut, down deep.

  "Baby."

  "Sam," I whimpered, arching back into him, impaling myself deeper, grabbing the hand he had braced on my hip and using it to pull his arm around my neck. I wanted him to clutch me tight, hold me close.

  He drove into me, forcing me down onto the table, bending me in half and lifting me off the floor as he thrust deep. I called his name and he told me to yell louder, kissing down the side of my neck, his body molding to mine.