Dangerous Temptations

by Kelly Elliott

  “Wesley erased everything from my computer and phone. We’ll need to do the same to your computer since you searched on it. I made him a promise we would stop looking into this, Mike. He said it was life or death. He was able to help me this one time, but if we keep digging into the Alchemists, he won’t be able to stop what could happen.”

  I jerked my fingers through my hair as I tried to get my thoughts straight. A part of me wanted to shake her and tell her this was insane, but the other part believed this crazy tale of nonsense.

  “So, let me get this straight. Wesley is an Alchemist. He claims they’re good people, yet they lie about historical events, twist things around so people believe what they want them to believe, and then he says if you keep looking into them, you could be hurt? Sydney, how in the world does any of that make any sense?”

  “I know! I don’t think they go around looking to hurt people, but they believe so strongly in their cause that if they see a threat…”

  “They’ll take care of it.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Wesley is moving into a higher position within the group. He’s leaving. It sounds like for good.”

  “He’s leaving? Leaving Salem?”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Yes. He told me I’m supposed to say that he has been offered a position with a law firm overseas that he couldn’t refuse. I’m so worried I’ll never see him again, Mike.”

  She threw herself into my arms and cried. I held her against my body and ran my hand over her soft hair.

  “Shh, it’s okay, Syd. It’s okay.”

  After a while, she pulled back and frantically wiped her tears away. “It’s not okay until you say you won’t keep looking. Mike, you have to promise me we’ll let this go.”

  “I thought you wanted answers about Quinn.”

  She sniffled and said, “I got them. Wesley had a letter that Quinn had written to her real father. In the letter, she said she had a little boy and that she was excited for her father to finally join them. It doesn’t say where, or give the little boy’s name. But at least I know Quinn was safe and brought her child into this world. Hopefully, she had lots of babies. Wesley said James Hathorne disappeared not long after Quinn and Jonathon vanished. They believe he found his way to Quinn.”

  Dropping Sydney’s hands, I stood and began to pace. “Where did Wesley get the letter?” I asked.

  “I didn’t ask. I’m assuming it was passed down to him. He had a safe filled with items. That was where he put Quinn’s journal.”

  “You let him take it?”

  “Yes. And we have to burn the other clues we found.”

  I stared at her, dumbfounded.

  Sydney stood. “Mike, I know this is hard for you. Letting go of something you need to find the answers to. I was never supposed to find that coin. Or the letters. Yes, it brought us to discover Vickie, and for that I’m so grateful. But we need to let this go. I want a future with you, and I don’t want us to be looking over our shoulders, wondering if they’re following us.”

  I lifted my hand and placed it on the side of her face. “You really want to give this up? You believe Wesley?”

  Her hand covered mine. “Yes, to both questions.”

  I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Okay. If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll forget all about the Alchemists and Truth-seekers.”

  “You promise me, Mike? Swear you won’t go digging into this behind my back. Please.”

  My gut was telling me to listen to Sydney, but the cop in me itched to find out more information. But I knew this was bigger than anything I could handle. If these people had moles planted in the police department or the city council, I would be putting not only myself but also Sydney in danger. That was not something I was willing to do. I needed to let this thing go.

  “I swear to you, from this moment on, I’ll never mention any of it again.”

  She threw her arms around me, and I held her close to my body.

  “I’m exhausted,” she whispered.

  “Then let’s head on up to bed.”

  Sydney wasn’t the only one who was wiped out. After my long shift and then digesting all of what Sydney had told me, I was ready to close my eyes and forget all about this day.

  “I invited Peggy over for dinner the night after next.”

  Smiling, I picked her up and carried her up the steps. “Okay, let’s turn off our minds. Tomorrow we can start fresh with everything.”

  She snuggled her head into my chest. “Mmm, that sounds wonderful.”

  When I walked into her room and slowly set her down, Sydney looked up at me, her eyes no longer sad or fearful. There was something else brewing there. Something beautiful that made my heart feel like it stalled in my chest.

  “I love you,” she said softly, her gaze never breaking from mine. “I love you so much, Mike.”

  Cupping her face with my hands, I smiled. “God, it’s so good to hear you say that. I love you too, Syd. More than you’ll ever know.”

  I pressed my lips to hers and we soon found ourselves tangled up together on the bed, making love as we whispered our feelings to each other.

  It was the best night of my life.

  Mike

  “Are you okay?” I asked, taking Sydney’s hand as we left Wesley’s going-away party.

  “Yes. Sad, but we had our good-bye the other night. And I’m holding on to hope that he’ll be able to stay in contact with me through texts. But as Wesley said in his speech today, life changes and goes on. That was his way of telling me to keep moving forward. So that’s what I’m doing. Tomorrow, Gladys starts at the clinic, and I think that will keep my mind off Wesley leaving for his new job.”

  His new job. Neither Sydney nor I had mentioned anything else about the Alchemists, Truth-seekers, or Quinn in the last four days after she told me what Wesley had told her. It was as if none of it had happened. Wesley had played off his part about moving to a law firm overseas beautifully. I almost believed him.

  “He’s going to be okay, Syd.”

  She nodded. “I know. I’ll miss him.”

  I squeezed her hand. “I know you will.”

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a notification from my father. It was a text message, and I groaned. His texts were usually long. I let go of Sydney’s hand and swiped it open.

  Dad: Dear Mike, your mother has some sort of tracker in my phone. Bill Reynolds, you remember him? He retired a few years after me. Well, we were all out in one of the pubs, and your mother texted me. She told me not to drink too much. How in the heck did she know I was at a bar if she didn’t have a tracker in my phone? I’m taking it into the station tomorrow and having the tech guys look at it. Be warned, she is probably tracking you.

  Little did my father know, the notification for my mother and sister to track me on their app had popped up weeks ago. I declined.

  I kept reading his text.

  I’m having second thoughts about her moving back in with me.

  I lifted my eyes in surprise. This was news.

  The only good thing about having your mother back under the same roof is easy access to—

  At that, I threw my phone away from me, and it landed in the front yard of someone’s house.

  “What in the world are you doing?” Sydney asked.

  “Dad. Text. Mom. Sex.”

  She laughed, walked over to pick it up, and started to read it.

  Thank goodness it didn’t break.

  “Are you freaked about her moving in with your dad?”

  “No! I’m past that. When she told me, Darrin, and Karen they were getting back together, we were all happy for them. I just don’t need to know he has easy access to sex with my mom! Why would he tell me that?”

  “What?” Sydney asked, glancing back down to the phone. “He said easy access to her home cooking.”

  I opened my mouth to speak but then shut it again. Then opened it. Then shut it. Sydney giggled and han
ded me my phone.

  I looked down at the text; it did indeed mention Mom’s home cooking.

  “Your parents are so precious.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You just haven’t been around them long enough.”

  She smacked me in the stomach, and I laughed.

  “Come on, let’s get back to your place. You can try that nipple cream on me again.”

  I shuddered, but soon let it go when Sydney looked at me with lust in her eyes.

  I cleared my throat and said, “I bought new cream.”

  “What? Why?”

  “There is no way I am using nipple cream my mother purchased on my girlfriend. There are just some things I refuse to do.”

  Sydney covered her mouth in an attempt not to laugh.

  “Come on, Officer Murphy. I’m ready to be frisked.”

  Four months later

  When I walked out onto the back porch of my parents’ house, I came to a stop. My breath stalled in my chest at the sight before me. Sydney was holding baby Penelope in her arms, rocking ever so slightly back and forth.

  My sister Karen and her husband had moved from Chicago to New York City right in time for the birth of their daughter, Penelope. Darrin’s two kids, Aaron and Lucy, were running around the yard with Maggie Maye and Princess, a golden retriever Sydney and I had adopted a month ago. Maggie and Princess were thick as thieves and loved each other so much. They loved my niece and nephew even more, though.

  “I’ve seen that look before.”

  Darrin’s voice pulled my gaze from Sydney to him. He was standing next to me, looking at Sydney, a beer pressed against his lips.

  “What look?” I asked.

  “That look that says ‘I want to see her holding our baby in her arms.’ ”

  I laughed. “I do not have that look on my face.”

  Darrin turned to face me. He lifted both brows. “Dude, you’re the fucking poster child for that look.”

  “No, I’m not. Sydney and I aren’t even engaged yet. I’m not thinking about babies.”

  He took another drink of his beer and started to walk off, saying, “Right. If you say so.”

  I glanced back over at Sydney. She lifted her gaze from Penelope and looked directly at me. Her smile said a million things. All of them, I was positive, were reflected in my own dreamy gaze.

  “So, are you going to do it?” Dad asked, next to me.

  “Yes. Stop pressuring me, old man.”

  He laughed. “Better do it soon. Your mother is beginning to catch on.”

  “How?” I pierced him with a look. “What did you say?”

  “I didn’t say anything!” he said, assuming a hurt expression.

  My mother walked over to stand on my other side. “Michael, the sun is setting soon. The colors in the sky are beautiful right now.”

  I looked between my mother and father. “You told her, you rat bastard!”

  “She knew! She’s tracking me! I can’t go anywhere without her knowing.”

  With a roll of my eyes, I focused back in on my mom. “Do not say a word. Not even a slip of the tongue.”

  Lifting her hand up to her mouth, she motioned as if she were zipping her lips and tossing the key.

  “If only, Mom. If only.”

  She hit me on the chest as Dad laughed.

  I looked down at my watch. The steaks would be done soon, and the sun was beginning to set in the sky. When Sydney handed Penelope back to Karen, I made my way over to her.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I said, leaning down and kissing her gently on the cheek.

  “Hey back at you.”

  “Do you want to take a walk with me before we eat?”

  Sydney’s cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink. I’d quickly learned that even when she was happy, she blushed ever so slightly. I loved that about her.

  “I’d love to.”

  Taking her hand, we started down the path in the back of my parents’ house. When Mom had moved back to Boston, they bought a house outside of town that sat on three acres. They wanted their grandchildren to have space to run around and be kids. It came with a path that meandered in the woods behind the house. It led to a hilltop that had a beautiful view to the west and had already impressed us with the sunsets.

  “How is your back?” I asked, trying not to chuckle.

  Sydney groaned. “Your mother!”

  This time I couldn’t hold it in as I thought back to last night.

  “Mike Murphy, we cannot have sex in your parents’ house!” Sydney whispered, attempting to push me off her.

  “Why not? They had sex in my house! Besides, they’re downstairs on the other side of the house. They’ll never hear us.”

  She smiled. “Probably not if they’re doing the deed, too.”

  I felt my dick deflate some. “What did we say we would never, ever speak of again?”

  Sydney tried not to laugh.

  “Lie down, Syd. I’m going to make love to you. Slowly. Quietly.”

  Her teeth dug into her lip, and she dropped down onto the bed, only to let out a yelp.

  “What in the hell! Oh my gosh, I think I bruised my back.”

  There was a lump under the covers.

  Sydney reached under it and withdrew a rock. Her eyes widened, and she threw it across the room.

  “What’s wrong? It’s just a rock,” I said, looking back at the marble-sized rock.

  “That, Officer Murphy, is not a rock. It is a fertility stone. Your mother has sent me three already.”

  With one more look over my shoulder, I shook my head before turning back to her. “I gave you a fair warning.”

  She grinned. “You did. Honestly, I wouldn’t want your mother any other way.”

  Settling between her legs, I teased my cock against her entrance. We’d been having sex now for a few months without a condom, and each time I was inside her felt better than the last.

  When I pushed inside her, she gasped and gripped onto my shoulders.

  “I’m so glad you feel that way, baby.”

  “That little fertility stone hurt!” Sydney said, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “I will admit, Penelope is precious. I can see why your mother wants more little ones running around.”

  Maggie Maye and Princess must have seen us walking away because they were now walking in front of us, leading us to the small bench that sat on top of the hill.

  “Darrin and Lynn are talking about another one.”

  Sydney looked at me. “They are? How exciting.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. That should keep Mom busy for a while.”

  When we reached the top, we turned to look out over the stunning view. The sun was settling down in the sky, and shades of orange and pink clouds wisped across the darkening blue backdrop.

  Sydney sat down on the bench and stared out in front of her. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about. Virgil? Vickie? Maybe even Wesley. She hadn’t heard from him in the months since he left Salem.

  “It’s so beautiful. It reminds me of how blessed I am. I’m so happy we met, Mike.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. Reaching into my pocket, I dropped down to one knee. Maggie Maye and Princess came and sat down next to me. I figured they were probably wondering what in the heck their dad was doing on the ground.

  Sydney’s gaze fell to me and her lips parted.

  “From the first moment I knocked on your car window that night, I knew there was something about you. Then when your tired feet brought you out for a run and we got to officially meet, I knew you were going to capture my heart and never let it go.”

  Her hands came up to cover her mouth. Tears pooled in her eyes.

  “I love you, Sydney Burch. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and…” I thought back to my brother’s earlier words and smiled bigger. “I want to see you standing in my parents’ backyard rocking our babies.”

  “M-mike,” she gasped out.

  I opened the ring box and took Sydney’s l
eft hand in mine. “Life being married to a cop isn’t always fun, but if you asked me right now to walk away from it, I would in a heartbeat. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. I love you, Sydney. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  Sydney dropped her hands and gave me the most breathtaking smile I’d ever seen. Tears slipped down her face, and she nodded as she said, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  We stood, and Maggie Maye and Princess started barking as I took Sydney in my arms and kissed her.

  Then the cheers of my entire family filled the air.

  My mother was the first to come up and congratulate us. She pried Sydney from my arms and hugged her tightly, whispering something into her ear that made Sydney turn a bright shade of red. I watched as each person hugged and welcomed her to the family. My heart had never felt so full.

  As we walked back down to the house, I looked down at the princess-cut diamond solitaire and then back up to Sydney. She and Karen were already making plans to meet for lunch to discuss prewedding details.

  Mom and Dad were in the lead, walking hand in hand back down to the house. Darrin and his wife, Lynn, held onto the hands of their kids as they skipped down the path and sang some silly song, and Joe, Karen’s husband, carefully walked while carrying his precious cargo, Penelope.

  When Sydney glanced back at me, her face was lit up with happiness, and I could see the love in her eyes.

  Yes, I had given my heart to Sydney Burch one late night not too long ago, and I had no intention of asking for it back.

  Sydney

  Three years later

  I lay on the picnic blanket, listening to our son squeal in delight as Mike pushed him in the swing. “More! More! More! Daddy, more!”

  Axel was two and had changed our lives forever when he came into this world. He was his father’s mini-me in every way. I loved being a mother and the life we had built together.

  I smiled, thinking about Paula. She’d been ecstatic, thinking I’d gotten pregnant because of the fertility crystals she’d added, and we’d let her believe that was the case. I loved the craziness she brought to our lives. Dex was still Dex, hoping someday for the return of the Pony Express. And I snuck him cheesecake from time to time after Paula had restricted his diet. It was our little secret.