by Liliana Hart
“Shit.” Riley took his glasses off and rubbed his fingers over his eyes. This was a hell of a mess, and he could only assume that Jon was dead because of his carelessness. And Maggie Lawrence was liable to be next if they didn’t do something quick.
“You’re right,” she said, gathering her bag and sliding the photo back inside. “I shouldn’t have contacted you even though Jon told me too. It’s wrong to get anyone else involved in this mess.”
She slid out of the booth before he could stop her.
“Maggie, wait. I’m not going to let you do this alone. There’s a way to get around this, we just have to be smart. It’s a miracle you’ve made it this long without someone finding you.”
He took out his wallet and threw some bills on the table.
“Tyler,” he called out.
“Yeah, Doctor MacKenzie,” Tyler shouted back from the kitchen.
“I’m going to have to cancel on the dinner.”
Tyler came out to the counter with a bowl of stew in his hand. He looked at Maggie and then back at Riley with admiration shining in his eyes. “Completely understandable. You guys have a nice night.”
“I need you to do me a favor, Tyler? If anyone comes in looking for my friend here, tell them you’ve never seen her.”
Tyler’s expression sobered and he nodded. “I was just thinking it might be a good idea to close up early and head home before the storm hits.”
“Good idea,” Riley said, ushering Maggie to the door and into her coat.
He threw his own gear on and took a long look through the glass door and into the night. Nothing looked suspicious, but his neck was tingling.
“Wait, what about my car?” Maggie asked as he ushered her into the front seat of his Jeep. “Where are we going?”
“Your car will be fine. The police will just think it got stranded with the storm. But you need to ditch it because whoever was following you will recognize it.”
“I told you I lost them.”
“Honey, men who keep their ears to the ground about rare artifacts almost always have enough money to find what they’re looking for. They’ll find you. If they don’t have your phone traced they will. They’ve probably already checked your email, which means they’ll be able to find me. Now give me your keys. I’ll get your bag.”
She handed over the keys without a word.
A sense of urgency was ticking away in the back of his mind like a timer on a bomb counting down to zero. He grabbed her bag from the trunk and threw it in his backseat. He hopped in the Jeep, and for once it started without a fuss. Riley didn’t let out a breath until he was a couple of miles away from the coffee shop with no sign that anyone had followed.
“I’m going to have to break my promise to you,” he said, looking her in the eye as they stopped at a light.
“What do you mean?”
“Discretion is not going to help us in this case. The quieter we keep this, the more danger we’re going to be in. The tabloids and media need to become our best friend. The only problem is we’ve got a bitch of a snowstorm moving in on us, and we won’t be able to call a press conference until its run its course. We’ll have to be on our guard and lay low until then.”
“Where are you taking me? I’ve got family who’s going to be worried. And I’m not just going to shack up in a hotel with a man I’ve just met.”
“We’re not going to a hotel, darling. We’re going to Surrender.”
“It sounds like the same damned thing to me.”
“Only if you ask nice.”
Chapter Two
Taking Maggie to the MacKenzie house was out of the question. He had no intention of endangering the rest of the family. In fact, he’d feel a hell of a lot better if no one was staying in the MacKenzie house at all until this was over. It would be the first place anyone searching for him would look.
He kept his eyes on the road as the first snow flakes started to fall and dug in his pocket for his phone. He hit speed dial and waited for someone to answer.
“What’s up, Riley?” his brother, Cooper, asked on the other end of the line.
“Just listen for a second, Coop. I don’t have time for questions right now.” He could feel the tension across the line as Cooper did what he asked. “I need you to have the family move in with Dane and Charlie for a few days. They’ve got the room, and it would be best if everyone stays together. I don’t want anyone in the house until I clear it.”
“What the hell is going on Riley?”
“I’ll tell you once I get back to Surrender. Just do what I ask. If you wait too much longer the storm will be too bad.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he said. “Anything else?”
“I need to borrow your apartment for a couple of days. I want to be close enough to call out for help if we need it.” Cooper was the Sheriff of Surrender and the city provided him with a two bedroom apartment just above the station. Riley knew there was always someone on duty, so it was the most logical place for them to stay until the storm was over.
“Who’s we?” Cooper asked.
“I told you I’d explain later. I want you to have your deputies looking for any strangers in town. Hell, they could already be there. Don’t count anyone out. This is life or death, Coop. I mean it.”
“I’ll take care of it all. And you’d damn well better believe I’ll be wanting an explanation as soon as you drive into town.”
“I’ll give you one. Just get the family taken care of.”
Riley disconnected and checked his rearview mirror. They’d reach the outskirts of town in another hour. Surrender was the best chance they had at survival.
***
Maggie watched Riley out of the corner of her eye while they drove down the long, deserted stretch of highway. Snow already covered the ground, and the windshield wipers were going at full speed.
She was fascinated with his hands. They were long fingered and bronzed, and there was a white jagged scar across the top of his knuckles on his right hand. He handled the car and weather with ease of long practice. The picture she’d found of him online hadn’t done him justice.
She hadn’t known his eyes were the color of the deepest part of the ocean with silver flecks that caught the light like starlight. His skin was swarthy, a testament to the time he spent outdoors, and his face was lean and beautiful. It would have almost been perfect if not for the slight offset of his nose. It had obviously been broken at some point.
His hair was dark blond and cut neatly over the ears and neck. The start of a five o’clock shadow stubbled his face and the glasses, God, she loved the glasses. The only thing that could have made them better was if they were horn-rimmed. He was every fantasy she’d ever had and then some.
Maggie admitted she probably hadn’t given him the best first impression. She’d been scared and tired. She’d barely slept at all the last two nights for fear of someone slipping into her room. She hated to rely on anyone to solve her problems for her, but Jon hadn’t really given her a choice.
She closed her eyes with embarrassment, remembering the look on Riley’s face when he’d asked if she and Jon were lovers. She’d never felt so ashamed in her life. Jon had been her biggest mistake. A young woman’s crush over a handsome man who was leading the life of excitement her parents would never let her have. The Lawrences were not thrill seekers. And they certainly didn’t marry them. She could hear the voice of her mother even now.
She shuddered to think what her mother would have said about Jon. They’d had a single night of drunken passion after she’d finished her doctorate and gotten the coveted position at the library. She’d been a virgin. And he’d gladly taken advantage. Just as he was doing now by expecting her to keep that damned pearl safe.
Jon knew she’d spent most of her life at boarding schools with her head buried in her studies. But he’d seduced her anyway, and though she was an adult, she was naïve enough to think that seduction meant love. Boy had she been wrong.
An
d now here she was with Riley, and she could see the adventure practically vibrating off his body. It was an aphrodisiac that was hard for her to resist. But she’d learned her lesson. As long as she kept her distance from Riley things would be okay. The next few days were going to be pure torture.
Maggie held her breath as the 4x4 crept slowly over what seemed like a mountainous sized hill. She couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of the car, and her nails bit into her thighs the harder the snow fell.
“Thank God,” Riley muttered under his breath. “This is a bad one. We’re lucky we left when we did.”
“Thanks God, what?” Maggie asked. “Are we there?”
“Yeah, see the blue glow there in the distance?”
It took Maggie a minute to see what he meant. There was a soft blue light coming from somewhere. It was the only thing that penetrated through the dense wall of white.
“Oh, yeah. I see it.”
“That’s the beacon we’ve got set up at the edge of town for occasions just like this one. My brother is probably waiting there to escort us the rest of the way.”
She lifted a brow at the tone of his voice. “Is this the same brother you were talking to on the phone?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. Cooper’s bark is way worse than his bite.” Riley thought of the sexual games his brother had a reputation for and then shook his head. “Sometimes,” he amended.
“Is he your only sibling?”
“Nope, I’ve got three others, and they all live here in Surrender. I’m next to youngest.”
“Wow, must be nice. I always wished I had a brother or sister.” She winced at the obvious wistfulness in her voice. She’d mostly wished she had another sibling so there would be someone to share the burden of being a Lawrence with. Someone else to be reminded to have impeccable manners and socialize with the right crowds.
“There he is,” Riley said, breaking her away from her thoughts.
A large black Tahoe with red and blue flashing lights was suddenly right in front of them. The Tahoe beeped its horn twice and started driving slowly away. Riley pressed his foot to the gas and followed.
Maggie didn’t take an easy breath until they were parked behind a bricked two-story building. Riley grabbed both their bags then opened the car door, letting in a frigid blast of wind and snow. He came around to her side of the car and helped her out. She grasped his hand hard as he led her up the stairs attached to the back of the building.
“What the fuck have you gotten yourself into?”
It was the first thing she heard as she was led into a small apartment. It was Spartan and neat—a couch, a chair, television and dining table for four sat in view of the front door. The kitchen was partially hidden behind a bar. Most importantly, it was warm.
“Ease off, Coop, and I’ll explain.”
Maggie crossed her arms and stared at Riley while he relayed the events that had led them there. She hadn’t yet found the courage to look at Cooper MacKenzie, but after hearing his bark for herself, she didn’t believe for one second that it could possible be worse than his bite. A man like Cooper MacKenzie would never take prisoners in his own personal battles. He was ruthless.
“I take it the woman shivering behind you is Doctor Lawrence?” Coop asked.
“Yeah, sorry. You didn’t exactly give me a chance to introduce her earlier.”
“My apologies,” Cooper said sarcastically. “I’ve just spent the last hour trying to convince a bunch of stubborn MacKenzies to move in with Dane and Charlie. Dane isn’t happy with you by the way.”
“When is he ever? Better safe than sorry though.”
“Agreed. They’re all there under protest, but they’re there.” He turned toward Maggie. “It’s nice to meet you, Doctor Lawrence. I’m Cooper MacKenzie. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need to.”
Maggie gathered her resolve and brought up the training that had been instilled in her since she was a small child. She looked Cooper in the eyes and pasted on a smile. “Please call me Maggie. I’m sorry we couldn’t have met under better circumstances.”
It was a shock to look into eyes the identical shade of Riley’s. The only difference was that she didn’t think Riley’s eyes could be that hard if they were made of glass. Cooper MacKenzie was no one to mess with.
“I’ll be trading off rotations with the deputies,” he said. “Someone will do a drive by every hour just to make sure you’re okay. We haven’t had any visitors the last couple of days so that should ease your mind, but we’ll keep a look out. Call if you need me.”
Coop shut the door behind him and Riley immediately turned the deadbolts. It didn’t take long for the reality of her situation to sink in. She was going to be stuck in an apartment for several days with a man she’d only known a couple of hours. Granted, he was a professor, not an axe murderer, but still. Not to mention they were pretty much trapped here if the bad guys did find them. There was one way in and one way out.
“Are you hungry?” Riley asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I think I’d just like to go to bed. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
“I can imagine,” he said. “Come on. You can stay in the front bedroom.”
She followed him in to a small room that barely held a full-sized bed and a dresser.
“The bedrooms connect, so I’ll be next door if you need me. The bathroom is across the hall.”
“Thanks.” She hesitated, unsure what to say next. “Thanks for not leaving me alone to deal with this. I feel like things will work out okay now that I’m not alone.”
He nodded and closed the door behind him, leaving her alone. She stripped out of her clothes and put on a t-shirt. She hung up the things she’d brought with her and noticed the big wooden chest against one side of the closet immediately. It was finely crafted and made of dark wood. The drawers had gold pulls and went from floor to ceiling. It looked Chinese in origin and very, very old.
She ran her fingers over the beautiful piece and decided to open a drawer. She didn’t worry about snooping through Cooper’s things. He wouldn’t keep something like this in the guest bedroom if it held his personal belongings.
Maggie gasped as she pulled open one of the drawers in the middle. She felt her cheeks flush with heat, and she tightened her legs together automatically. Inside the drawer was an array of sexual toys. She had no idea what most of them were, but she could certainly guess. She stroked her fingers over the items and then eagerly opened another drawer.
Her nipples tightened against the cotton of her shirt as she saw there were two full drawers devoted to different kinds of vibrators. Her panties dampened at the thought of doing something completely naughty. And it wouldn’t be hard considering she could use Riley to spur her fantasies. The thought of what would happen if he accidently walked in on her quickened her breath and had her adrenaline spiking.
She grabbed one that was flesh colored, her sense of adventure not great enough to masturbate with what looked like alien genitalia. It was close to eight inches long and she could barely fit her fingers around the base. With as turned on as she was, she didn’t think the fit was going to be a problem at all.
Maggie turned on the bedside lamp and shut off the big overhead light, leaving the room in a soft glow. She turned down the covers and pulled the night shirt over her head. It had been a long time since she’d come. Months. She’d been busy, but she also felt that masturbation was so impersonal. She didn’t mind doing it when her body absolutely needed the release, but other than those times she didn’t bother.
She flicked the button at the base of the vibrator and jumped in surprise with the amount of power that purred in her hand. She slid her panties down her thighs and crawled onto the bed, staying on her knees and facing the headboard. The dildo pulsed across her sensitive nipples as she rubbed it in slow circles over the pointed tips of her breasts. The vibration was felt all the way down to her pussy and she moaned low and long as nectar dripped down her th
ighs.
Her eyes were closed, and it was Riley she saw in her imagination. Kneeling before her and lapping at the juices there until his mouth closed around her in an intimate kiss. It was him she saw as she trailed the vibrator down her body to the soft curls that covered pussy, imagining it was his fingers that touched her intimately.
She held the base of the vibrator against the bed and spread her thighs, anchoring herself by placing her hand on the headboard. And then she slowly sank down with a torturous moan of pleasure. It was all Riley between her thighs as she began to ride.
The bed squeaked as her hips pistoned up and down. Her legs quivered with the anticipation of release and her fingers found the hidden nub between her folds to help move things along. Just a flick of her fingers had her legs tensing and her back bowing in a graceful arch. She sat down hard on the vibrator and ground her throbbing pussy against the mattress. She bit her lip to stifle the screams that wanted to escape.
Once her body was sated, she dropped to her stomach in an exhausted heap. But still it was Riley who starred in her dreams.
***
Riley knew exactly what caused the low humming noise he could hear through the thin wall. Their beds were practically back to back. Sweat popped out on his brow as he heard the first soft moan come from her lips.
“Shit. You’re kidding me. God must hate me.”
He rubbed his hands through his hair and finished stripping off the rest of his clothes. It was a good thing Maggie hadn’t wanted a tour of the apartment. It would have been hard to explain the manacles Cooper had attached to one wall of his room and the mirror that hung from the ceiling. Or maybe it wouldn’t have been hard. She’d obviously had no trouble snooping through the chest of sex toys in the other room and picking one for her pleasure.
The bed began to squeak and he could hear the light tap of the headboard as it hit the wall. He flipped the light switch off and lay down in the dark. His cock was as hard as it had ever been and his balls were drawn tight. He grasped his shaft in a firm hold and began to pump with smooth strokes in a tempo that matched the metronomic headboard.